Change in Regimen
by tohonomike
Summary: What if Xander's Parents had been Watchers...And how even with changes some things and even people still happen...Part 20 now posted!
1. A Changed Beginning

_**Change in Regimen 1/?**_

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for one of those bright shiny coins of the realm' mentioned by Ten Hawk, I might come up with something more/better._**

_**I decided to change the name from Regime Change to Change in Regimen.**_

_**1983 – New York City **_

Anthony Giles Harris and Jessica Travers Harris (nee LaVelle) had lived in Sunnydale for three years keeping an eye on the Hell Mouth before stumbling across their Slayer, a young witch named Maria Castle from a mainly Sicilian background. The Harrises included Maria as family and not just as a Slayer, and never really were able to return home. With little Alex, nicknamed and sung to as Alessandro by the young Slayer, they enjoyed two full years of slowly touring the major cities of Europe clearing out small nests of undead left behind by two particularly troublesome vampires, Drusilla and William.

They were in just-arrived in New York when they decided to go out to dinner, having headed out to America again on immediate orders from the Council to search for an old vampire named Kakistos that had surfaced anew in the Northeastern United States in this January of 1983. They'd sent their possessions across the day before, and were walking by the docks when they heard a scuffle. They moved quickly around toward the Hudson-side of the warehouse, finding a mid-twenties street tough fighting off five vampires. Maria threw a fire spell into the midst of the vampires and charged in, twin stakes stabbing, vampires dusting and four large Polgaras, betting in the dark recesses of the warehouse exterior, noticed the humans with the Slayer, and becoming angry that their entertainment had been interrupted.

Anthony rushed in, coat-hidden short sword drawn, hoping to slow the demons and allow his family to escape.

"Run Jessica!" he cried, "Get Alex to safety! I love you!" as he wounded one and used the surprise to slice off an arm-spike from another. Maria fought hard, and her companion, surprised to have had his prize fight interrupted, knew his own life would be forfeit to the Polgaran bookies. He tapped into his own magic and began to fight back, but after burning three more vampires approaching the fight, he burned a Polgara before being thrown into a wall gasping for breath.

Ethan Rayne knew a Slayer and Watchers when he saw them, all that time with Ripper and the others had given him more than he'd ever wanted of them, but that nasty buried sense of balance and honor he'd kept hidden pushed him to remain conscious and try to help enough so they could all flee. Unfortunately, as got to his knees, Jessica Harris managed to burn a Polgara with magic as she ran toward Ethan's position and the escape beyond him, only to be skewered by a demon. Ethan caught the toddler as the mother fell to the ground dying, looking up to see Maria badly wounded and Anthony hurled into the wall near Ethan himself, not moving.

Maria was suffering from a concussion as two vampires and a Polgara remained to fight, surprised when Ethan's revolver fire striking the vampires, allowed her to quickly dust the undead. The Polgara knocked her into the wall between Anthony and Jessica, then slowly stalked toward Ethan as he fired the last of his rounds into its face. Maria picked up Anthony's sword, leapt in front of Ethan and exchanged mortal wounds with the demon. As it died, she slumped between her surrogate parents and watched as an also-dying Jessica addressed Ethan.

"Ethan Rayne?" the woman gasped in recognition, "They sent us here after Kakistos, you must protect Alex, Ethan, even if you hate Rupert now." She raised her hand to her pocket, and reached out with an amulet to her dying husband and Slayer-daughter. "The memory spell, Maria, for your little brother." Turning back to the troublesome chaos practitioner, "I know you better than Rupert, Ethan, I'm one who can see people. I don't know who sent us here, but Anthony suspects Kakistos was to be Maria's Cruciamentum on her birthday next week, and he doesn't trust the Council lately. You raise Alex away from them but teach him."

Maria placed the amulet on her little brother's forehead, as Jessica grabbed Anthony's still-warm hand in her own to touch the amulet. A light flashed and the baby quieted as three fighters for light themselves went dark. Ethan looked at the baby, and started to gather up effects to make it look like a robbery.

"Oh, damn," he sighed, "Maybe you'll be the rare Watcher to be have a sense of humor; gods know your lovely mother did."

_**1983-1995**_

Ethan Rayne's pinned down honor compelled him to disappear young Xander from the scopes of the Watchers and any demons in the know, dumping Anthony's body and that of Jessica into the Hudson so that if found Xander's would be believed lost.

The Trouble of Tottenham Court collected the Harris possessions, including a vintage automobile and a sizable library, and headed west to Sunnydale. Ethan had known Jessica but not Anthony really, and hadn't learned their middle names, but when he found out, the mage decided to raise him as an Anti-Watcher, what one should be with all of their skills and maybe preempt a slayer to get back at the old tweeds that stole his best friend away.

Taking over the three-year-vacant property proved easy, and assuming the identity of Anthony Harris, rented out the property while choosing to live in San Francisco for two years.

Life went well, Alex learning very quickly and gaining Ethan's approval and exhortations to greater achievement. Ethan suspected that some of the knowledge had been passed into the subconscious from the spell, but as the child hadn't suddenly spoken like an adult dismissed it as an unfortunate failure he'd have to compensate for himself.

Ethan opened an occult magic and book store, making a good living but contracting out on the side to profitably use his dark inclinations without risk to the boy.

He'd moved into an upscale enough neighborhood and had found an older woman willing to watch after Alex when Ethan himself was busy. "Gramms" Halliwell was a strict and upright woman who provided an excellent balance of nurture and discipline even if she wasn't properly British.

Ms. Halliwell senses the magical upbringing being foisted upon the young boy. Secretly and against her better judgment began regularly blessing him, and teaching him White Magic techniques to keep him as safe as possible from the corruption of Chaos and practitioner magic that Ethan favored. As she admitted to Alex one day, her granddaughters mustn't know about the witchcraft as she wanted them to have as normal lives as possible until they were old enough to decide for themselves.

"But why do you teach me, Gramms?" the four-year-old prodigy asked with big brown eyes boring lovingly into her own.

"Because, my little Alex, you've already been touched by magic, and not just by that you've been learning lately," she replied quietly and in reference to Ethan, "Is there anything you can tell me?"

"It's nothing bad, Gramms, but I'm not supposed to talk about it with anyone." The older woman could sense the truth behind his words and hoped he could discuss it with her someday; it seemed to be something between a memory spell and a geas.

"Okay, go play with the girls."

When kindergarten time came around and a Slayer begins a regular-enough presence in the Bay Area, Ethan and Xander moved back to Sunnydale, where he easily establishes friendships with kids named Willow, Jesse and Amy, but somehow with a better perspective than most kids his age even balances out a semi-friendship, barb-exchanging relationship with a young rich girl named Cordelia Chase since he dresses well and his remarks are better than others, less hurtful, going for the intellect rather than the emotion.

Time passes, with his after-dark time spent in learning and training as a mage, a Watcher, an assistant in the local occult and magic store and as the musical instrument player Ethan never found the time to pursue.

The summers saw Alex are spent with the future Charmed Ones, paid for by Ethan who makes up for school-year domesticity by concentrating his chaos trouble for summers. Whenever the girls are away, Gramms teaches white magic to Xander, who admits he doesn't care for his father's magic. They both pinky-swear to keep it from Ethan and especially the girls as she still doesn't want her kids drawn in, but she must help 'her honorary grandson.' She makes Xander promise to minimize his use of magic, and never use it unless necessary for others, and not to tell anyone she's teaching him.

In Sunnydale, Catherine Madison is discovered by Ethan, and in exchange for babysitting in the manner of Halliwell in the Bay Area, he teaches her some chaos as well as regular magic. This leads to Amy joining Xander, Jesse and Willow as a quartet instead of a trio. The small group survive the dormant-Hell Mouth years, especially as Xander and Amy are required to be in by nightfall.

By fourteen years of age, Xander is nearing Ripper, Ethan, and Gramms levels of magical skill in different flavors, and is in generally good shape, is 'fluent and literate' in American, English, Latin, Ancient Greek, Sumerian, French; can read Egyptian/hieroglyphs, norse runes and Italian and Spanish. Practical mathematics are sufficient to maintain the straight A average expected of him.

"You're better than they are, so at least humor me in this, Alexander," Ethan would tell the young boy, who grimaced at the word better, "You know what I mean, Alex; you have a better background and deeper learning in the real world, and your mother would have wanted it." That was almost always enough; the only time Ethan had come close to actually beating his young charge was when Alexander had given his word on something an was in the process of reneging, "Alexander, if you break your word, I'll beat you all the way back to England and bind your powers and beat you again. I have very few actual stricture, if you actually give your word, you keep; tell the truth unless it'll kill you or me because it's easier to remember, though try not to say anything is even better; the use power need not be used for too serious a purpose once you've mastered it but treat it absolutely seriously in the actual use of it so you don't yourself suffer stupidly and embarrassingly. And once you're eighteen, your loyalty once given stays that way until you declare it annulled. So, I'll help you with keeping your word this time, but give me your word that you won't use it frivolously."

"I will, my word."

"Excellent, Alex, now let's get to work."

**1995 Coming together**

May 1995, as school for the year was finishing up, Ethan learned from a seer that a Slayer will be called in the richer part of Los Angeles in early 1996 and would not be already in Council hands. He moves Alexander to LA and enrolls him in Hemery Junior High and enrolls him in him in four different martial arts classes. 'This will be good practice for his own slayer later,' he thought to himself, 'Hopefully we can poach this one before the tweed coats can get to her.'

After settling in and pre-registering Alexander for the upcoming school year, the two males head back to New York on some business, Ethan simply restocking their new place before deciding whether to go strictly mail-order rather than open another shop of the H&R (Harris and Rayne) business empire of the Sunnydale and San Francisco stores.

The trip was memorable, the first time in a while the two had really taken a vacation of sorts, even if business prompted it. Ethan had shown him the usual sights, adding his own commentary on each, and as they approached Times Square, they tripped over a bum, Ethan about to complain when he noticed seven vampires in bad suits closing in.

"Mister Rayne, a pleasure to see you again after all these years," the black vampire addressed him with a bit of nineteen-thirties style, "I'm sure the boss would love to meet ya, and your apprentice."

"I really have a pressing engagement, perhaps if you give him my regards, I'll phone him later to set up an appointment?"

"Funny you are, but I'm afraid not, Mister Rayne, so if the two of you will come with us..."

"Incendiere!" Ethan cried as Alex let out "Arsum!" in two spell variants to toast four of the vampires and send the others running for cover.

The bum suddenly threw himself at one of the vampires, pounding on it and managing to drive a piece of broken crate into its heart, then to Alex and Ethan, "Run!"

The three ran as the Kakistos vampires regrouped at the sudden reduction of numbers. Two blocks later, the indigent started to break away when he is stopped by an intent Ethan Rayne, who raises his hand and mutters a few words.

"Hold, vampire," the chaos mage intoned, using necromantic magic he'd learnt when he'd assessed the sheer numbers of vampires starting to gather in Sunnydale, "Why did you help us and what is your name?"

"I don't know...name's Angel," the vampire grated out, "Why do you care? I was leaving just now."

"Well, in spite of ...you have a soul!" the mage exclaimed as he cast several types of divination and aura-reading spells, "You're that Angelus that pissed off the gypsies aren't you...aren't you?"

"Y-yes-s..." Angel unwillingly admitted under the power of the mage, his barest survival on rats rendering him unable to resist at all.

"Well, if Kakistos and that Trickster of his are going to be after me, I need Alex safely escorted to California...you're elected. Let's go."

The vampire dejectedly followed the two for about half and hour when they walked behind a butcher's shop and Ethan pounded on the back door and purchased a gallon of fresh beef blood then ordered him to drink it. They waited another twenty minutes as the vampire turned away and gulped the red substance deeply but ashamedly, energy starting to return to the extremely gaunt features of the undead creature. Ethan began a spell and cast it as the vampire turned back to face them.

"Now, Angelus," Ethan command, "I place this geas upon you to protect and defend Alexander, to get him to his home in California alive and well, then at his use of the word 'Spartacus' you will be released from service." The vampire winced for an instant, then sighed.

"How am I to get him there?"

"He has money, buy an old car if necessary and drive at night, just do it, I need to spend whatever time is necessary to lead them away."

Should I continue this? I know I'm doing drabbles wrapped in narrative, but once I get everybody to Sunnydale, it'll take on a normal structure. Should I concentrate on my other stories before continuing this? I'm undecided, this came to me sometime in the last week and I churned this out in an hour, so I've not grown too attached to it yet. If yes to continuation, I have a couple of ideas, but feel free to request things, I might just include them to fill out my own ideas. Thanks.


	2. Two Plus Two Equals Five By Five

_**Change in Regimen 2/?**_

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

They'd headed back to the docks area, circling around Kakistos' pursuers.

"What are we doing?" the vampire asked, responsible for the boy but not in charge of him.

"We're going to have you ambush one or two of these guys to get a car and some money to get out of town in."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Come on, you're Mister Vampire Guy, you just need to thump 'em in the head and basically rob them before dusting them."

"You've done this before?"

"Once, last week, I was on the way home and saw a vamp go after a 7-11 clerk. I smack 'im in the head, the vamp, not the clerk, and paid for my slurpee and some junk food with what he had on him and pocketed the rest; I usually eat properly, but a Twinkie is a Twinkie."

Luckily, Angel had been able to simply slug the vamp waiting next to the car, and they were off, five hundred dollars to the good and it even had a ful tank of gas.

The next night found Angel and Alexander in Baltimore; the down and out vampire had a car in storage there from many years before, black of course with a very large trunk full of books and personal effects gathered over the years. They transferred what they had to Angel's vehicle, including an impressive array of guns and ammo from the other vehicle's false trunk, and started heading toward DC but foregoing the Interstate to first determine if they'd been followed. A couple of times, Angel had sworn he'd seen a VW bug driven by a dark-haired twenty-something gal, but eventually he'd assured himself it was coincidence.

Approaching three in the morning, they pulled into a convenience in a DC suburb to gas up and get to the other side of DC before finding lodging. A skittish girl came around the corner, a duffle over her arm, clearly a runaway; Angel felt the early sages of compassion but managed to fight it off. He had enough to brood about without adding more.

Xander came out of the store with a couple bags; the store had a better than average selection and it was probably best to minimize stops and just get home. The girl's stomach rumbled as she looked around the parking lot of the club next door, and the store itself as if looking for something.

"You okay?" Alexander asked the girl and grabbed a twin-pack from the bag, "You really shouldn't be out here at night, some drunk'll hurt you." He threw her the golden snacks, "Here, ya sound hungry, need a ride away from these guys coming toward us, at least to the corner, my...brother's car's at the pump."

The girl looked at the bikery mid-twenties guys with the Howie Long look approaching, overhearing one tell the other 'five by five' after making an obviously inappropriate remark about her, "Yeah...maybe the corner...or a coupla blocks, huh?" Xander nodded, and pointed at the Angelmobile with his chin.

They started walking, the guys starting to shift toward them a bit. Angel looked up and started to frown from the car and walked to meet the two teens.

"Hey Angel!" he called to his 'brother' loudly, then looked at a billboard across the street with a big church promotion on it, "Faith and I got the snacks, ready to roll?"

The bikers slowed and changed direction back to store as there fun would cost them a little much, especially when Angel nodded and swung his arm back toward the car a little impatiently, "Come on, Alex."

"Everything...five by five...Faith?" Xander smiled as he let the girl know he was aware of what had been avoided.

"Five by five...Lex," she smirked back.


	3. Three Really Is Company

_**Change in Regimen 3/?**_

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

Two weeks later, the trio pulled into Los Angeles, the vampire exhausted after playing straight-man for most of that time, and only toward the end starting to score the occasional verbal hit.

They'd left the biker situation behind and had gotten down the road a little ways when Angel, looked in the rear view mirror at 'Faith' and brought up the issue.

"So where can we drop you off...Faith?" the ensouled vampire asked, not expecting a real answer but hoping to lose the complication of a fourteen year old runaway.

"Where you guys heading?" she countered, starting to believe that since hey were asking her if they could drop her off, that they would when asked.

"Out West," the boy just a little older than herself answered.

"Cool."

"You have a place to go?" Xander asked quietly.

"Uh, sure..." she started, but saw the knowing look he was giving her, "...don't, my parents just died..."

"Foster home?" Angel asked, not comfortable with the direction this was taking as they neared the freeway. The girl shook her head.

"It's...not good for me to be there..."

""Hmm," the young man she'd called Lex responded, looking intent for a moment, but not in a bad way, "How's California sound?"

"As the guy said, five by five," she returned with an uncertain look. Angel looked at Lex, who nodded back, and Angel got on the Interstate.

A two week of nights later, Angel is thinking of how he'd managed to fulfill his unwilling directive, but has come to not only not hate the teens, but can't believe he might actually miss the incessant chatter. The trip had been slower than expected, a couple of minor but time-consuming repairs turning the trip into a road vacation. He'd been endlessly talked at until giving in to the occasional side trip, and looking back it was actually enjoyable. He'd seen the Grand Canyon from the shady side of the Village, San Xavier Mission in Tucson, Tombstone and the OK Corral, Roswell and its alien kitsch, the Alamo of all things...

**Flashback of the San Antonio to Carlsbad Caverns leg of the trip...**

"Hey, Boy?"

"Yeah, Girl?"

"Ya know what I remember?"

"What?"

"The Alamo?"

**End Flashback...**

And before that they'd actually gone to Graceland in Memphis, stopped at Stone Mountain in Georgia, stopped at the occasional tourist trap if it was open in sun-shaded hours...in all looking back to DC, the best non-evil time of his life or unlife. And the fact that they were wearing cheap sombreros, and singing badly most of the trip when not talking movies, had frosted the cake so to speak. And as they had the money, he found himself pulling the car into Disneyland of all places as a result of a deal he'd made with back near Needles if they'd only take a nap or plain be quiet he'd take them there.

Angel didn't know what he'd do once they got to Ethan Rayne's place, as he didn't really expect the man to escape Kakistos' clutches for long; it might be better to turn to the teens over to CPS in spite of how they boy make him feel like a big-brother.

The trio were walking up a less-traveled path to the main gate when a very badly dressed man bumped into them. Angel looked around and saw that everyone around him was frozen into place.

"We don't have more than a minute to speak, so just listen. My name's Whistler, I work for the Powers That Be...not Angels but you get the idea."

He explains how something went wrong and the Harrises weren't supposed to head for NYC, and the whole Rayne thing, but that Angel and Xander's paths would have crossed later, and maybe the girl's as well.

"Ethan Rayne might survive his run around, but he won't be in touch for the next two or three years, though he and Alex will email each other and the boy for the most part will be running Rayne's business.

"Since I would have met up with you in less than a year to offer you a shot at redemption, you get the offer now. But you have to look over the kids until you and the kid woulda met."

"How'll I pay for things?"

"We can figure things out but I need an answer yesterday..."

"Okay..." Angel replies, then cries out in intense pain as Whistler places his hand on Angel's chest.

"What was that for?"

"It will anchor your soul so the demon can't come out and play again. It only lasts until you would've met, so after that you're back on your own. Then he can choose whatever destiny he would've had."

"Destiny and choice usually don't go together..."

"Somehow, he's like Lawrence of Arabia: He does his own writing."

"So what do I do?"

"I teach you to be a champion and you hopefully will teach everything you know so that the boy will make good choices. You can't tell him about this though. Here's a grand to get started, I'll contact you in a week or so to get started."

Things unfroze as though nothing had happened, the two youths laughing as they approached the gate. Somehow, in spite of the pain and responsibility, Angel felt a little of the weight lift and actually smiled a tiny bit as he reached in to pay the admission.


	4. Jenny's World

_**Change in Regimen 4/?**_

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

Jana of the Calderash felt confusion as she placed a tracking device under the bumper of the vampire's car; following Angelus to Disneyland was beyond surreal, especially as he accompanied to young people that seemed to know him. On a whim, she decided to follow them into the theme park, and tried to close the gap somewhat when she felt arcane magic pass over her, and other than a poorly dressed man say something to the vampire, nothing happened.

Jana, whose legal name was Jenny Calendar, had been rushed out of her life to spy on a vampire, her older predecessor unable to respond as flexibly after twenty relatively easy years on the job. Jenny, unfortunately, had just graduated college with her cousin, in business and computer science, had completed her initial studies in the basic magics of the Tribes, and was told her cousin would join her once Angelus settled down. Uncle Enjos was quite adamant about it, and handed her five thousand dollars and told her to go.

Now she watched as he played straight man and burdened big brother to a couple of insane kids, the make taking the long coat for himself while the girl placed a set of ears on the vampire's head, eliciting a half-grimace, half-smile. Later they added t-shirts and a stop at the caricaturist's, as well as rides, to their list before the park closed. She figured that very few of the younger people of her tribe could doubt that deep within, the demon was suffering and screaming at the indignity of it all, though the strangest part of the night, perhaps, was that as she left the park, she overheard two park employees speaking into tiny microphones on their uniforms.

"Yes, sir, the vampire has left, and we were finally get all three aura readers to agree...there seemed to be a soul in the individual, sealed in by strong magics...yes, sir, they think that's why he was able to pass through the barriers around the park...no, sir, he was no trouble at all, in fact, considering what he is, the control believe any demon inside would have been suffering...do you want us to alert mobile units to follow? No? What about the one following...uh-huh? No interference? Very well sir."

The employees turned and the young man that had been speaking actually winked at Jenny and gestured toward the park entrance. Looking around, she hadn't noticed there were four large Disney characters near her up until that moment. 'No wonder nothing bad happens at the Magic Kingdom...these guys are ready for anything.'

The next couple of months passed uneventfully, Jenny watched Angelus and kept an eye out on the young people who seemed to have mutually adopted him. The young man with help from the others spent the time working out and opening a magic and occult book store, part of a small but increasingly reputed chain that surprised everyone with its quality, attention to detail and willingness to go into mail-order for non-volatile items. She still hadn't figured out how one so young was entrusted with that level of responsibility

Jenny herself had investigated a little, watching in fascination as the girl soon had a very tight and well-historied cover identity and was enrolled in school in the same year as the young man, while the vampire settled into a routine of playing 'front man' as the adult in the family unit, and spent a fair amount of time at a dojo next door with the weird little man from in from of Disneyland. She slowly noted as Angelus, 'no Liam as he'd been introduced, mustn't slip,' seemed to teach the boy to martial arts and to recover quickly from knock-downs.

Jenny managed to get a job across the street at Helen's kitchen, making her own name tag rather than be known as Anne or Betty. The kids and the vampire came in for maybe half their meals, usually in, but sometimes to go, and this allowed Jenny to establish a better ability to keep an eye on things until her cousin Diane finally showed up after stopping in Boston in late August. She'd watch the girl, Faith, pick up in assuredness over the weeks, and hoped this wasn't a twisted vampire thing that'd end up hurting the girl. It wasn't that the girl had had a rough background, but from what little Jenny'd picked up off the group, the girl had lost her parents and was just trying to do her best to get through to adulthood.

"Hey, Jenn!" the two teens called out on the Sunday morning before school would start, tumbling into a corner booth.

"Hey guys!" Jenny greeted the, genuinely happy to see her two young friends, "Two usuals each?"

"Yup," and "You betcha, big sis!" called back to her from Xander and Faith, the latter now Faith Angel. Seeing that it was extremely slow, she put in their order and signaled the boss she was sitting but still on the clock.

"So, ready for school?" she smiled, receiving two eye-rolls but noticed a glimpse of fear in Faith's.

""Should be just fine," Faith said, "Just the new school, new high school jitters, though Lex here seems ready to become big man on campus..."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Faith enthused, clearly adoring her 'cousin' and not letting him get a word in edgewise, "He's, like, already tried out for a bunch of the teams and made it! Though he still won't start playing electric guitar instead of that acoustic thing of his." Xander blushed and shook his head.

"My biggest fan..." he mock-complained, a sparkle in his large brown eyes, "But any way, school's looking to be cool, the classes from junior high are letting me coast in a few things, and the tests I took mean I don't have to worry about freshman requirements or language."

"What're you taking instead?" Jenny asked as she refilled the drinks and made a coffee-refill circuit around the pace, "I'm sure you don't get study hall for the day."

"Dare to dream..." Faith laughed, then slurped her morning milkshake as 'Lex' continued.

"Well, let's see...computer programming, algebra-trigonometry, biology and chemistry...thought I'd get them both out of the way, auto shop and wood shop."

"Shop classes? A young business man like you?"

"Hey, Liam might own the car, but already I think I know more about cars, and I've always been interested in woodwork, especially after fixing up the store."

"Ya know, Xander? I'm not prying, but how did some one your age luck out and get to become a store owner?" She wandered over to the counter and retrieved their food orders, cashiered for the other two tables in her area, then sat down again.

"My uncle actually owns them, and I've been working them since the beginning so it's no big deal, the real problem is going to be the retail side of things during the school year."

"Yeah, I know, I'm starting a new job teaching tomorrow, but that's entry level, and my cousin Diane's coming to town tonight so she'll be looking for work and I don't want her working here since she also got the same creds I do..."

"Oh?" the young man replied, "Does she have any book store or magic store experience?"

"No, but we both...dabbled with the New Age crowd in college, and have degrees in business and computer science?"

"Awesome, when does she get in? I have Liam covering, but he's so not the day person and even though he's willing to cover it, retail's not in his blood." Jenny smiled as she got what he and the snickering Faith believed to be the inside jokes.

"Around five? She might be a little jet-lagged, but I since I live in the neighborhood, I could bring her 'round seven? And if you decide to take your business onto the web, her and I both have done a few professional sites back east..."

"Sounds good..."

'Lex' Harris and Faith Angel walked into school looking like a million bucks, drawing only a few stares since most at this school were in upper-income families, but their energy and smiles turned a few heads. Lex was happy that he'd lucked into finding himself a store manager in Diane Calendar, and was impressed enough with Jenny during the get-together he gave her a three-month consultancy to set up the online and automation stuff, after which he'd decide whether it warranted bringing her onboard as full-time staff. This allowed him to keep Liam as the weekend escort to check on other stores until school required Liam to go it solo.

Classes went well, and lucky for Lex his uncle had gotten him in the habit of front-loading the days work so it'd be out of the way 'by the time you actually are ready for the day.' He'd received only a couple of emails from Ethan, and as a result simply transferred money into an account that the man could draw from pretty much anywhere in the world, and as the business was mature enough Xander easily continued operations.

Fourth period, with the really hard stuff out of the way and after checking out the cheerleaders, especially a really short cute one from afar, Xander with a just-arriving Faith coasted into computer programming class to find Jenny as the teacher.

"No way," Faith smiled, "This is where you're teaching, Big Sis?"

"Hey guys," she smiled back, "Cool, huh? Didn't really think about it until I checked the rosters this morning, but yeah."

"Awesome, teach, if I need help with the homework, I know where to find it," Faith smirked, her practice of her mother's general northeastern accent starting to finally take hold instinctively, "So between you and Brain-Boy, here, I'm fixin' to get at least Bs all the time."

"I'm sure you'll get As, Faith, just have a little confidence," the teacher said as class time started.

Xadner had gotten through most of the auto shop class before getting teamed up with one of the more advanced students, a guy who had the cool hair and dressed blue collar unlike most of the kids at school.

"Hey, Pike," the teen introduced himself, shaking hands, "Calluses on your hands, better watch that around some of these high-maintenance girls, that'll scare 'em off."

"Just fitting in enough, do the impression thing with the teachers and the less-snotty ones," Xander smiled, "And since I'm usually too busy to think about dating the rich cheerleader, I think I'll manage. Name's Lex, Pike, so what're we working on?"

"Well, I tend to work on classic cars when I can get my hands on 'em, all of two so far, and any type of bike, Honda or Harley, I just like to fix 'em, ya know?"

"Sounds good to me, man, so what's the deal?"

"Well, if parents, students or staff bring in their vehicles and pay for the parts and supplies, we take care of them, the first part of class is giving you the book work so the teacher'll be able to show it to the paper pushers, but your real grade comes from diving in and doing the work."

"So how'd you get ahead here?"

"Took shop here a couple summers, got held back one year, so I'm still a sophomore, but after I finish shop this year I'll get my GED and my mechanic certs."

"Just from school?"

"Nah, work at a shop, and I've been doing side work out at a truck stop, so I can work the rigs when I turn eighteen next December. Who's the girl you came in with?"

"Cool, that's Faith, my cousin."

"Kissing?"

"Just getting' ta know her, folks died and she's out here with her big bro, who's like a step-uncle of mine or something...don't ask, math's easier."

"Sure man, let's get to work."


	5. Thanksgiving '95

_**Change in Regimen 5/?**_

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

**Thanksgiving 1995, 7 AM**

Faith couldn't believe it, a real holiday without Mom or Dad; lucklily as soon as she'd left the foster home she'd found another one, with a teen entrepreneur who with an esouled vampire fought the things that preyed in the night. Would she have lasted long? Maybe, maybe not, but Dana Tasker, now Faith Helen Angel, was thankful she wouldn't have to find out.

School had been great for the last few months, and as things came up, somehow it was handled and they got through it. Even though she'd lied about her age, being younger than they knew, she'd always excelled in school when she applied herself, and with the training she'd gotten with two intelligence agents in the family, was able to really focus on being the daughter she'd want to be for them had they lived. Uncle Spence and Uncle Gib might still be out there, but she'd only be a liability, professionally and personally if push came to shove, so here she'd decided to remain.

Liam was actually funny once you got by the whole vampire thing, and they'd had the caricatures framed and put on the mantle where anyone could see, and if anyone asked why he wasn't in the pictures...duh, who was taking the pictures. He really was like she'd imagined a big brother would be, maybe better since he didn't order her around but instead only expected her to think everything through once more if any of them asked her. 'Wow,' she thought with a bittersweet smile, 'That's even harder to duck around than Daddy on a rampage.' A small contained sniff, that had Lex looking up as he helped her set the table for later this afternoon, Liam crawling in for coffee before helping with meal preparations later.

"Hey, it'll be okay," Lex said, walking over to give her a reassuring hug, "It's okay to cry, and it's okay to remember, Faith, I'll never be one to tell you to forget, but know that even though it's different, you do have family and friends for you."

She smiled and laughed in embarrassment at the same time, glad to have someone who understood what it was like to lose one's parents, and a new family that somehow put itself together. The door opened, and Jenny and Diane led the new arrivals from San Francisco and Sunnydale into the house, carrying most of breakfast in with them. Liam came up and handed Faith her morning cup of joe while lending a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"Here, 'baby sis,'" the former Scourge of Europe smiled at her, "double the coffee, half the water." She just nodded her thanks as Lex broke the hug to help greet the guests.

"Gramms! Girls!" Lex called out, then see his Sunnydale buds, "Wills! Jesse! Great to see everybody!" He quickly hugged the girls, twirling them around, Gramms gently, before exchanging mock-horror looks with Jess, who quickly did the manly-hug-pat-on-the-back routine. Luggage was taken to rooms, the store occupying a double-space meant the equivalent of four apartments with a total of ten bedrooms upstairs.

"Wow, Xander," Willow and Prue both gushed, then laughed at Phoebe chimed in, "You and Ethan must be loaded or something to afford this!"

"Nah, just a lot of fixing up after we bought the taxes on the place and cleared out a few bums," Xander demurred, "But we're doing quite well now, so I figured these two apartments facing the street are for you San Francisco types, Jess and Wills are in this apartment: Liam, Faith and I stay in this one most of the time."

"What about the other one?" Piper asked, as it was opened and looked ready for guests.

"Just in case any other guests need to stay the night or somebody has the need to time-out, Pippy," he told her, winking at Gramms as he used the nickname.

"How many times have I asked you not to call me that, Alexander?" the young woman asked, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, okay, LS," he smirked, putting her bags in 'her' apartment next to Gramms.

"LS?" she asked with trepidation.

"Long-Stockings, oh future love interest," mock-sagely as he winked at Gramms and the others without Piper catching it.

"Love interest?" she gasped

"I know, Phoebe told me about your secret crush on me, and its cool by me," he smiled indulgently, then turned 'innocently' to the others including Angel, and made a funny face, "But I'm afraid as young s I am I'm married to the business, so we'll just have to have the occasional fling when I'm in town." He left the room with Gramms, others quickly following to settle in before they heard, "Phoebe!"

"You are a very bad young man, Alexander," Gramms chided, "Though very funny."

"I know, and with the girls there're just so many buttons to push."

"You know they'll get even, don't you?"

"Kinda countin' on it Gramms, it'll be just like when I'd stay with you and they started to date."

"Speaking of which, grandson? Have you started dating?"

"Nah, I have a good life, lot of commitments, I just don't get the date thing yet. Mostly I hang out with friends with shared interests, or go grab burgers with Faith."

"Tell me about Faith, Alexander, I don't remember another honorary family member."

"Her parent s died, she had trouble at the foster home they just whisked her off to without letting her grab more than a duffle, she was being approached by a biker gang when Liam and I rode in and saved the day. She's been with us ever since," he smiled in remembrance, and checked to make sure no one was overhearing, "She knows about the things in the night, and wants to be with us, she's family now, Gramms."

"And what're your feelings toward her, Alexander," she said as they reached the kitchen area, no one else taking control of it yet.

"Well, nothing romantic, though I could see it happening some day, right now it's a lot like the Girls, ya know, friends who are girls, though Faith has just enough tom-boy to be extra comfortable to be around, half-way between how I feel about Jess and Wills, ya know."

"Well I won't give you the talk, you know better, so I'll let the poor girl be free of my teasing for the moment, on two conditions."

"Um, okay?"

"First, the kitchen is mine today, and second, you're aware Mr. Angel is a vampire...with a soul? You'll need to explain that one as you've invited the girls here in the same premises."

"Okay it's like this...."

"So, Faith, you and the Xandman?" Jesse hinted, causing Willow to roll her eyes, but feel a slight twinge of the crush she'd had before it had changed to oblivious Jesse.

"Wha? No!" the dark-haired girl exclaimed, "Just buds, ya know."

"Come on, Jesse, let's get unpacked," Willow said, "You don't want to be late for breakfast."

"Whoa Wills! Don't scare me like that!" the boy said but scrambled anyway, moving his stuff to the other bedroom.

"Thanks Willow," Faith sighed, "Lex is just a good friend, not a boyfriend, ya know? It's nice to have one of those. So, you and Jesse dating?"

"No," the girl replied, blushing, "He doesn't see me that way."

"Shame, maybe he'll grow up, be like Lex."

"I think someone might have a crush on her 'good friend' huh?" Willow smiled, knowing the signs, however faint.

"Maybe at some point, but not yet, we're just getting into the whole friends and family thing, ya know? But..."

"Yeah, I know..."

"Hey Pike! Come on in!" Faith called out to the young mechanic in white t-shirt and full denim including vest, who looked like a young Luke Perry, "Games are on the sets in the back room if you want the sports, but the food's over with the womenfolk, your choice."

"Hey guys, thanks for havin' me over, brought a little something with me?" he smiled, holding up a brown paper bag.

"Back in the main kitchen, you remember the way, pard?"

"Shore do, Miss Faith," he play-mocked as he tipped an imaginary hat and

moved toward the back of the building where there was the restaurant kitchen from when the place had been a snazzy Italian/Cheers-looking place with lots of wood. It was always weird in a good way to walk through the strange store and find a home in the back. His own was workable if less than ideal.

"Hey Pike!" Lex called out, "Gramms, this is one of my few male friends, a great guy and excellent mechanic, an honest one too. Pike, this is my Gramms."

"Ma'am," Pike politely greeted her, "I hope you don't mind, but I brought a few stray things I thought might make for either munchies or an interest set of salad toppings."

"Let's see what you have there, young man," Gramms smiled, then really smiled as she saw prosciutto, provolone, fresh romano, greek olives, and related items, "Mr. Pike, I dare say you've just promoted yourself to Salad Chef, if you'll head over to where Piper is, she'll tell you what you need to do, wherever did you find all this, it must be a hundred or so dollars..."

"I fixed up the delicatessen truck last night, and we traded labor at wholesale, so I thought I'd take it in food, so he doubled up on me."

"You must be very good indeed, and welcome to Thanksgiving."

"Go! Go! Ahhhh!" Faith grimaced later as the Redskins crashed and burned, then headed for the kitchen, asking Lex, "Hey guys, Lex? Want anything from the kitchen?"

"Just an update on the Pike-Piper food fest, and maybe a coke?"

"Me too, Faith," Phoebe called out, the only other football watcher as Prue, the Calendars and Wills had pinned down Angel when they'd found out he knew most of the dances from disco and before. Jesse had stayed as much to mock as to watch the girls move.

"Hey Jenn!" Faith called, "You guys need anything?"

"Nah, just remember, Liam's a dancer, not a singer..."

Later that evening, when the neighborhood quieted and the guests were for the most part heading out, Xander found Faith up on the deck they'd put together up on the roof from bits and pieces.

"Hey," he greeted her, handing her sweater to her, making her roll her eyes.

"Hey...thanks," she returned, smiling a little, thinking her Mom would be glad someone was mildly nagging at her, "Just catching the lights before heading in." Being on the 'fourth floor' in a neighborhood not exceeding to floors at best gave them an excellent tough admittedly limited view of the cityscape, the wealthy suburbs nearby and the poorer ungentrified LA of the thirties and forties around them.

"Know what you mean, figured I'd make sure you had a sweater, see how you were doing..."

"I'm fine, Lex," she smiled, her eyes smiling also even if tinged with tears, "And I love being part of Clan Alexander, it's what I imagine it would be like if I'd come from a family with lots of kids and cousins."

"I'll be heading out in a few minutes with Liam, you check the locks after us?" he asked, and smiled as she smiled and nodded, "Thanks Faith, g'night."


	6. Slayer Huh?

**_Change in Regimen 6/?_**

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

**Wednesday, November 29, 1995**

Xander was checking his email, finding one from Ethan marked urgent.

'Slayer called in your area, Alexander,' the note informed him, 'Apparently somewhere in your area, perhaps even your school, a cheerleader. A Watcher named Merrick has been assigned to her; check our customer records in case he's been in. If you decide not to pursue 'The Great Usurpation' I'll understand as I'd planned it for both of us.

Good news, I hope to have lost these infernal vampires in the next couple of months. I've noticed how well you've done with the business; I'm proud of you son. You may be young in years, but I'm proud of you. On a different note, I've talked to a few of my actually reputable contacts from my youth and will be setting up a branch store here in London, and will hire the manager and such, and shall send you the particulars later as you'll remain in overall charge.

Who'd've thought a son of mine would be the 'CEO' of a small multinational before leaving secondary education, eh?' Anyway, please let me know what I can do for you while this far away, Alex, and please be safe.'

'Hmm, a bit late to head out and look around tonight, giving Cassandra a ride home put me behind a bit,' he thought to himself, smiling that Ethan had expressed uncommon approval for his accomplishments.

**Tuesday Afternoon, December 5th, 1995**

"Hey, Liam," Faith greeted the vampire, "You see Lex recently?"

"Yeah, he's down in the basement working on something," Liam replied, "Anything I can help you with?"

"Nah, I just wanted to know if he was still going to the last game of the season tonight."

"Isn't it a bit late in the season?"

"Well the whole teacher's strike thing kinda put the games back a coupla weeks...and I'm feeling a little energetic."

"Homework done?"

"Huh? Yeah, I did all my papers and everything, should be able to coast the next coupla weeks, ya know"

"Good, and I think he's planning to go to the game, asked me to drop him off and pick him up, no problem for another..."

"Cool."

**Tuesday Night, December 5th, 1995, Football Game.**

Xander, known to his friends in Los Angeles as Lex, had quietly searched out most of the reasonable locations for a Watcher, especially one using the name Merrick, but so far nothing came up. Using some rather obscure Watchers spells learned from Ethan and his parents' books, he'd been able to determine that the recent Slayer was a Hemery student, which would mean she was probably a freshman or sophomore at his own high school. And after talking to Cassandra about general gossip, he had a guess that a cheerleader by the name of Buffy Summers, who he might have seen in glancing, was his best prospect. What he would do beyond locate her, he didn't know, but with Slayers being what they were, he wore his long trench coat with weapons just in case.

Faith had accompanied him, and on a whim he'd asked Liam to attend, telling him it was just a hunch., when at the end of the game he watched as Summers suddenly ran out onto the field just before the end of the game, chasing after someone who could very well turn out to be a vampire.

"Liam, get the car and follow me, Faith, go with Liam and stay in the car. You'll have the walkie-talkie in case I need something."

He ran after the cheerleader, it taking him a few precious minutes to race around the victorious crowd to nearly catch the Watcher as he moved down the street. The dark teen ducked into a dark spot and managed to don his balaclava and place a black tunic over his shirt just to throw off recognition more. Drawing his 45 and super-soaker with holy water, he paralleled the man he presumed to be Merrick, avoiding detection. Radioing Liam and Faith, he directed them to his location and made sure Faith had a soaker before he lead an equally disguised Liam toward the sound of an encounter just through some bushes.

Liam and Lex look each other in the eye, Lex gesturing to the older man's crossbow but moving out before he can be stopped, firing super-soaker at Lothos from a mere twenty feet away, causing him to jerk in pain as the to-him acid scorches his face. Dropped just as he was pulling the trigger, Merrick mispositioned his gun and managed to deeply graze his skull, falling unconscious.

"Ahhh!" screamed Lothos as he leapt back, taking a crossbow bolt in the shoulder instead of the heart as Lex began firing at him, causing considerable immediate damage. Lothos fled.

"Irish! Get the Limey to the hospital before Lothos can get back with reinforcements," Lex directed as he reloaded, I'll follow Pike to make sure he doesn't get killed."

Liam picked up the old wounded man and ran at vampire speed back toward the vehicle as Lex radioed 'Blondie' to be ready with the first adi kit.

After a moment, weapons drawn, Lex heads away, only to find Buffy Summers watching him from the trees, Pike coming up eventually.

"What have you done with Merrick?"

"He's being taken to a hospital for a bullet wound to the head."

"Who are you? And where's Lothos?"

"I'm the Sassenach, and Lothos is recovering from multiple gunshot wounds and a face of holy water," Lex replied, "I'll be seeing you later, Slayer."

**Wednesday, December 6th, 1995**

Not a lot was going on at school the next day, though Buffy's odd behavior had not gone completely unnoticed. Lex worked the male side of the gossip machine while Faith looked into it from the other side of the gender aisle, and nothing 'vampire' related seemed to come up.

Pike, however, seemed to be among the living, and Mr. Merick had slipped into a coma but physically was out of danger.

**Friday, December 8th, 1995**

"Still going to this dance?" Liam asked his hunting apprentice, trying to make sure the youth had his priorities straight.

"Where would Angelus attack a known Slayer at a known location? Especially after you found out he's recruited Knox and his twenty bastards to help him out?"

"Just checking, I know she's pretty..."

"And if anyone's, she's Pike's okay? Right now, my mind is still on the mission."

The dance seemed nice enough, and it amused Lex to help Pike out with the tuxedo and all the while pretending to not have a clue about the wooden stakes quietly placed inside, even offering a ride and 'limousine service' afterwards if it'd help.

"Thanks anyways, guys, but even I can take it from here."

Watching their friend head in to what could become a problem situation, Liam turned to Lex, "Let's park the car here, and start our rounds...with this many we'll stay paired."

The next half-hour proved nerve-wracking but somehow they managed to roll-up eight of Knox's minions before the Dance was suddenly brought under attack, and Knox realized his 'boys' were missing and turned to deal with that threat instead.

Lex fired both soaker and 45 into a clump of five bloodsuckers as they sauntered around a corner, catching them by surprise as Liam fought three that had come from the other direction. The young man fired at lower levels, striking knees, femurs and groins to great painful effect as the holy water caught unprotected faces dead-on. Running out of ammo, Lex took out his sharpened broom handle and was able to get all five before running out of water.

Liam kicked and dusted his second opponent as Lex screamed and charged from behind the third, who started and briefly turned, only realizing the mistake as Liam's stake ended his unlife.

"Thanks, but quieter next time," Liam cautioned as Lex reloaded the firearm, "I guess that combo slows 'em down but maybe some kind of wooden claw set on the back of your wrists might be better than the broomstick," he suggested as they ran back for the car, only to be cut off by Knox and his remaining four minions. The master vampire, not having seen Lex's recent success, waved three of his minions toward the boy as he and the other minion surged for Liam.

Lex fired automatically, rolling out of the way as two dusted from sheer neck and jaw trauma, and the final minion was knocking the gun aside. Evading the first blows, the young man was getting his short broomstick up to protect himself only to have it become two as the vampire struck forward. Remembering a trick he'd gotten away with once against Liam in sparring, Lex dropped back and forcibly kicked up into the jaw of the over-extended attacker, the full hit causing teeth to fly and the vampire to actually lose consciousness.

Liam had managed to roll to the side and stake the minion, but Knox was no pushover. Though distracted by the gunfire, it'd taken a moment to register that the boy had taken out three minions in ten seconds for only some real bruising on the forehead. Knox landed a punch to Liam's side, then a follow-up kick to the kidneys before noticing the young man nearly finished with reloading. The master vampire had had enough and ran around the alley corner and away form the school.

Liam winced and got up, then staked the unconscious vampire.

"I thought you were out of ammunition," Liam noted as the watched the end of Lothos from the window.

"Knox didn't know it, that's why I was loud and doing it under the light."

"Not bad, little brother, not bad."


	7. Change of Seasons

**_Change in Regimen 7/?_**

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

**In this universe, the Charmed Ones are younger by three years, even Paige if this story eventually includes her, though likely they'll do the Destiny Thing on schedule; it fits my story better and from what little I've garnered from web sites, the three years of age won't make too much difference to anyone.**

**For the time being if you don't catch the minor crossovers/cameos, I won't mention them...but I disclaim them as well. There's also one that refers very slightly to the work of a fanfic writer...and if he catches the reference, he needs to prove it's his by writing more... ï**

**December 15, 1995**

"Winter Break, here we come," Faith greeted freedom from school for a few weeks as her and Lex met up with Pike in the parking lot, "Gotta love it."

"Come on, Faith, we know you really love school," Pike chided her, "Just remember that doesn't make you any less hot."

"Thanks Pike," she replied, blushing, "I'm just glad I made it through semester finals, unlike the Letterman here."

"Hey, can I help it if I'm good," Lex replied, pretending to dust the varsity letter on his jacket, "And besides, the way you're going, you'll make the squad or one of the girls' teams next year, maybe the martial arts team."

"Ya think?" Faith asked, "That'd be cool I guess."

"I've seen ya work out, Faith," Pike said as he drove them in one of his fix up cars, "You'll do quite well, and with your grades staying up, it might get you into college on scholarship."

"What if I don't want college? You're not."

"Hey, I'm a hands on guy with the cars, I'm not interested in designing them, so why go to college when I can buckle down and get my certs in a few years," the handsome grease-monkey rebutted, "But your grades are good enough that you should push high and hard until you narrow down a specialty."

"Is that what the Buffy Princess thinks?" she teased, causing the mechanic to blush, "And by the way, any word yet on the whole burning the gym thing?"

"Not yet, but I think even with her parent's money, Buffy'll be kicked out by the end of the semester."

"Yeah...and the way her friends blamed her for the whole mess, and the cowards who voted to sacrifice her to the vampires just want to forget it, it sure made the papers do the bad on her."

"Yeah," Lex agreed, "It made her look like she'd hung out with gangs or at least had pissed them off enough to make the school a target; if she gets kicked out she probably won't be accepted in any of the LA schools."

"Then what?" Pike asked.

"Home schooling, GED, boarding school out of state..." Faith listed, "Probably the last unless her parents get a clue."

"Well, her Mom has all of a sudden started to stay home a little more," Pike revealed, "And her Dad'd not been very supportive, won't budge on his career needs or the parties he goes to in order to advance himself to take the time to fight the school board. It was all he could do to quash charges being filed." Lex headed into the Uber Burger to pick up their usual order, after listening to a whiny New Yorker in the back of a car complaining how the always you at the drive through.

"That sucks, feel sorry for her, my parents were all career but I knew I was important."

"Yeah, Zeph and my Uncle Rory are the only two that come close to family since..."

"Benny?"

"Yeah, the, uh, gang members initiated him and he's gone now," Pike said.

"Uhm, you saying about an Uncle?"

"Yeah, Rory, he was born in England but came over when he was little, he works for a computer company up near Ventura, he has a lot of weird hobbies, like taxidermy, taking odd second jobs as janitors or street cleaners, drinks a lot but never fights when he's drunk."

"Yeah, it's kinda different, ever since his older brother died back in the eighties he just hasn't really hung around here or Sunnydale too much, usually does security work for some big three-letter corporation."

"Three-letter corporation?"

"Yeah, I know the name is three letters not IBM, but..."

"Gotcha, so how are things with you and Buffy?"

"Holdin' pattern, her Mom might be makin' some time for her but that doesn't mean goin' out with the grease monkey, so we're just pals I guess."

"Don't wanna fight the Mom?"

"Family's important, I know from what I don't have, though I'm cool. Buffy needs the chance to actually see her folks for a change, and the, uh, gang activity has dropped to nothing in the last couple of weeks."

"Gotcha."

"Thanks, man," Pike replied as Lex handed him a drink, "That does the job."

**December 16th, Early Morning**

The pair of demon hunters carefully surveyed the situation, a few decrepit buildings in a neighborhood not on the upside of improvement, a vacant lot, and several vampires heading into it. The two hunters had been quietly eliminating the small independent nests, using radio tags to follow the vampires around to determine their 'family' or network, for close to three months. A hundred and twelve vampires, four fyarl demons and a polgara were their known toll, and they'd managed to directly use or cash out nearly four hundred thousand dollars from the undead and demonic, arranging half of it to pay off the last outside creditors of the business including the property improvements. Faith didn't know yet, but they'd quietly set her up a college fund, and had furnished all three homes (San Francisco, Sunnydale and the LA upstairs) as a result, not having to dig into the business revenues. They'd also 'repossessed' and cleared title on matching vehicles and such for each location. And with a bit of research and long discussions, Liam was now packing firearms, for which he had the paperwork, and they would test out different ammunition to see how it might soften up a nest of vampires when the younger partner's martial skills and test range practice indicted they could step up in the size of opposition. The gunfire on 'Slayer Night' had shown itself useful, but unless they could disable every one, they needed to really know what they were doing.

They watched as their targets stepped into the lot, Liam took out his 45 and fired a shot at each of the vampires, grounding two of them but winging the third which seemed to disappear into thin air.

"Careful, Sassenach," the balaclaved individual told his equally disguised partner, "He might be wearing some type of cloaking amulet."

The younger man carefully examined their surroundings, moving forward slowly as Liam knocked the two vampires unconscious and removed valuables.

"He's not here," Lex replied, looking and then pointing at the space in front of him, "Walk there, I'll follow."

The two stepped in, finding a doorway down some steps as a green demon talked to 'Raoul' to have somebody clean up the vampire dust.

"...some rude hunter or bookie thinks they can just dust a customer, can't they wait 'til he's on the way out of the club. Oh, hello," the green demon grimaced as he saw the two hunters, "I'll have you know there's a no violence spell on the club, so don't try anything you'll only rebound it on your selves." The demon looked at the two of them, then back to see that no one inside had noticed them yet, "If you want to remain anonymous in the club, you'll want to lose the masks, or you'll be followed out. It's neutral ground here."

They watched as the green guy turned and walked back, the guy cleaning up the dust of presumably the vampire Liam shot, finishing and also heading back in.

"I say we come back another time, maybe in different clothes," Lex told his partner, who nodded as they headed for home, "We have to take the girls malling tomorrow evening, and I still have to finish working on the Buick with Pike."

**December 18th, 1995**

"Hey Lex," Diane greeted as she opened the shop, "Anything on the agenda today?"

"Nothing special, have the shopping done, but I finally got word back from Uncle Ethan, he's in London again for some reason, but sent back all of the paperwork signed in advance for the next year or so, so that's handy.

"Cool, always like to know the paycheck is there," she teased, having no fear on that point.

"That's for sure, Jenny back from the Bay and Sunnydale yet?"

"No, she's auditing early, so she'll be back this evening, anything I can help with?"

"No, just curious, and to see if you two are sure you're not heading to the Bay with us for Christmas with the Halliwells?"

"No, we have family coming into town, and they can be trying enough, but thanks."

"Sure, it'll be strange enough with just Faith along, Liam's going to be having some happy quiet time after giving up bachelorhood for these last few months."

**December 21st, 1995**

"There they are!" Piper called as the two teens got off the plane, "Let's get their luggage and head back." She looked around to see that her sisters had instead run forward to hug the two arrivals.

"Hey, all! It's great to see you," Lex responded, returning the hugs enthusiastically, Faith warmly but with less enthusiasm.

"Now Xander," Phoebe said as she walked arm-in-arm with the male teen, "Piper was reminding me of a certain trick you pulled on us at Thanksgiving."

"You mean saying that you told me about Piper's crush?" he smiled as both Phoebe and Piper nodded. "Well that was just to cover for the feelings we've shared for so long, Pheebs," he replied, kissing her on the cheek and placing his ear to the top of her head as he side-hugged her, deadpanning, "Are you wanting to tell everybody about us already, Darling?"

"Wha—who? You?!" the girl gasped as she blushed deeply in being out-maneuvered by a professional, only to have everybody break out in laughs at her meeting her verbal Waterloo, "Xaaaaaander!"

**December 21st, 1995**

The London weather was as cold as expected, and Ethan had just drawn out more money his son Alexander had transferred for him.

'Son, there's that thought again,' the Chaos mage pondered for a moment, "Who'd've considered me as a father type, though he calls me Uncle Ethan because I told him to.'

The man sighed as he walked down the street, remembering when with Rupert he'd get into trouble to royally piss off their Watcher relatives and anyone else who managed to get in their way. The man continued thinking about the life he'd carved out with Alexander these last twelve years, and decided it was nearing time to bite the proverbial bullet and perhaps talk to Father and the Family again, let them know he was almost respectable now except for the need to lead stray vampire mercenaries and the occasional bored human bounty hunter away from his charge.

'And it all started with Jessica, and my grandiose plans to become a Watcher in fact even without their blessing, to show them up with street smarts instead of book smarts, though Lord knows Ripper and I had both. I wonder where he is...maybe at the Museum?'

**December 23rd, 1995**

"So, you ever tell 'em, Gramms?" Lex asked as he shared a cup of tea while the girls watched a girlie movie in the other room, then fended off a look from her, "I'm asking so I know id I still need to be careful talking about things around here?"

"Do your friends know about your magical talent?"

"I don't think so, but I've come close to using it why out hunting vampires with Liam, but I've been able to maintain my shields," he replied seriously, "And again, I'm just checking, I'm not getting back into that conversation with you."

"Good, Alexander, but if your friends know about vampires..."

"Only Liam and Faith, Gramms, the others just think he and I are male bonding or girl watching or something, but nobody's really asked."

Dana watched the movie with the 'Three Ps' as she called them, remembering doing this with her Mom before the secret agent stuff came up with Dad, 'That was fun, I sure miss 'em, but I wouldn't have met Lex...' She chided herself, she knew there was a slight crush, but the last few months had been an adventure almost as intense as some of the stories her folks or Uncle Gib told her.

It was tough, but she was happy with her life, and wondered for only the dozenth time today how she could act a little freer than before, as if Xander giving her the name change had allowed her to decide who she was going to be; luckily Liam and the others were there to help provide her with the options she would have had at home, as well as whichever ones she could make without worrying about what others would think if the world came crashing down. It already had, so that worry wasn't the terror it could have been.

She looked up briefly toward the way to the kitchen, catching Lex give her an understanding nod and a smile before he disappeared to talk with Gramms.

**December 23rd, 1995**

The knock on Rupert's door came as a surprise to him; his father being off in Asia somewhere on Council business, he couldn't think of any cousins who might be aware enough of his whereabouts to make the effort. He was certainly not expecting the face looking back at him.

"Ethan?!" he declared in shock, "What the Devil are you doing here?"

"I find myself in a moral quandary, Ri—Rupert, and in all honesty you are the closest thing I have had as a friend in nearly fifteen years," the reticent and arrogant at the same time man responded, "I've been hovering on your bloody stoop for nearly an hour deciding on knocking on the stupid door."

Rupert Giles stepped back and with a sigh allowed his old friend and nemesis into the small but cozy flat.

"Tea?" he gestured to Ethan as the latter placed his hat, coat and scarf on hooks, "So to what do I owe the pleasure of your sudden visitation?"

"First, I'm not asking for money, or anything illegal, Rupert," the man sighed but kept his usual look of indifference on his face, Rupert however noting the eyes showed worry., "I'd like you to help me reestablish ties with my family the right way."

"After all these years?"

"I know, but you see, quite a ways back I set up a magic supply business in America, and took on the guardianship of a young boy, just barely getting beyond nappies," Ethan grimaced with some humor, "And everything was going along fine, my boy and I were opening our third shop, when we took a trip to New York." He paused, sipped tea while cogitating on his next selection of words.

"Anyway, I manage to get the boy to safety, but I've been eluding trouble I'd thought buried back in eighty-three for the last six or seven months, Rupert..."

"And the boy?"

"He's prospering, can you believe it?" the mage enthused somewhat proudly, eyes blazing even if the rest of him remained indifferent, "The bugger's taken our mostly mail order business, and has kept it growing, he sends me money, Ripper. A lad not yet seeing sixteen summers is supporting his old man by running a business..."

"And you haven't the foggiest notion how to feel..."

"Exactly, old boy."

"So what precisely do you want from me?"

"Make a few inquiries, let them know what I've just told you," the man quietly emphasized, "I want to establish ties for Alexander in the event something happens to me. I want him to be a Watcher some day." Giles nearly spewed tea hearing this.

"You what?!" Rupert gasped, shaking his head in disbelief, "You want a son of yours to be a Watcher."

"I know," Ethan sighed, "But I've taught him almost everything I know, languages, referencing, all the stuff you and I were able to do before...you know, and I've had others instruct him in the good stuff, even if they didn't realize I knew, natural-borns and practioners of the white magics."

"And the Chaos?"

"He's aware of it, and the mechanics, and to never use it without permission or a back-up."

"An American teenager?"

"With British discipline, and a real grasp of the basics, he already knows about vampires, and such, and his marks in school have been excellent."

"You really do have a son don't you?"

"Isn't it the most amazing mind-& ever?" Ethan laughed, "He may not be of my blood, but..."

"Alright."

"Hmm."

"I'll make a few contacts, but no promises, Ethan..."

"Thank you, Rupert, here's a card with my e-mail account on it."

"Your what?"

"It's a computer thing, and the only safe way to contact me, for either of us."

"I'll have to get someone to help me with one of those infernal machines..."

"Just don't tell them who I am, alright?"

"Everything alright in there?" Gramms asked and received a warm nod, "So tell me again about a normal day in your life, we didn't get as much time alone to talk as I'd hoped over Thanksgiving, though it was interesting to here Prue go on about how well you were doing running the business and all, I think she's hoping to do something similar career-wise."

"I'm not going to bring up the magic, Gramms, but she'd have been ideal to become General Manager after she graduates, I'd really like to opne stores in Boston, New York and Chicago, maybe New Orleans and Miami, but I'm only one guy and I don't really want to leave school yet."

"I know, but back to you..."

"Okay, from about seven to seven I'm either being super student and athlete, or handling the General Manager duties, and still not burning out; I guess the still being in a store on a daily basis means keeping my hands busy and my mind aware of the details. I learn a few new moves now and again, then with Liam train the others so they'll be safer when they go out. I spend Saturdays practicing my magics so I keep at the top of my ability but don't rely on them, and integrate them with my other skills to be the best I can. I help out at the dojo next door four evenings a week as a hobby, trading whatever needs doing for more advanced lessons. Three nights a week, Faith's convinced me to take up the electrical guitar, so I've made her go in for lessons with me. On Sundays, the group except Liam, whoever's around, heads out for a day trip, beach, hiking, whatever, and I show Faith the acoustic classical guitar you've had me play since I was little."

"Do you play the piano any more?"

"Sometimes on Sundays, there's a shelter down the way that does the mission thing, and sometimes I'll fill in when their regular person isn't there, but other than that, not really? And four or five nights a week Liam and I sneak off and dust prune the surrounding neighborhoods to keep them safer. I guess that's it, busy, but I lucked out and my hobbies and studies seemed to overlap."

"I'm very happy for you, though I still worry..."

"I know, Gramms, Liam's a you-know-what, and Uncle Ethan's not around, but I'm doing fine. I'm half-way afraid of next summer; I'm not in denial but without school my situation might start to hit home, but we'll see."

"Alexander, remember you're only..." she started, then realized something that had been niggling at the back of her mind, "my god you're not even sixteen yet are you?"

"And I'm doing more than most men who are ten years older, Gramms? Remember, I have been responsible and in charge of eleven employees and three retail stores, raising Faith as well as myself, making my part of LA safe as half of the 'Neighborhood Watch,' rehumanizing a trapped soul, making sure Faith and I not only have good grades, but are already financially able to go to college even if everything else collapses, and have built a family structure that includes three adults, all of whom work for and with me, and one of whom's mine and Faith's computer programming teacher. Trust me, Gramms, I've even been in e-mail contact with Uncle Ethan for paperwork I can't get others to front. Hey, if I need help, I have you to call, right? I see you guys about every month for a day or so..."

"But you should have fun, enjoy your youth..."

"I am, actually, and most things I might be interested in aren't legal until I'm over eighteen or I've gone to college, Gramms, like learning to fly a plane, or hiking the divide from New Mexico to Alaska, or start a construction company to fix up neighborhoods like the ones near my current ones."

"It doesn't feel right now that I remember just how young you are."

"Gramms, let's change topics before we have our first real fight, I mean you still have three daughters to take care of, one just gradating college, one just out of high school and one still in her senior year. To take me on as well you'd have to take on the business and let them know about the real world."

"Alright, Alexander, we'll let it go, but since you're Mister Business Man I want you to put in one of those video phone links and you or Faith call me every day, you here?"

"Alright," Xander sighed, "That seems fair, I guess."


	8. Family Meetings

**_Change in Regimen 8/?_**

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

**December 27th, 1995**

Liam came in around dawn to find Lex still hunched over the computer catching up with business; he felt it strange that one so young could be so driven, even after watching him for seven months.

"Working on anything in particular/" he asked as a miraculously early-rising Faith came in and started to pour herself some coffee and tossed over a mug for him to nuke his repast in the microwave.

"Yeah, it looks like Morales is going to sell out his pawn shop with the repossession business for the three hundred grand you discussed with him."

"I guess saving his kid and then talking to his bookie gave him a way out?"

"That and I told him I'd keep his kid in the business until done with college, just to keep the Morales name with the place."

"The kid seemed trustworthy, and he doesn't hang out with the neighborhood gangs at all."

"Yeah, I might move him in to replace his dad on desk duty, that way I know we'll keep the money where it belongs."

"What's the timeframe for the sale?"

"Tomorrow, six o'clock, here, you're the statutory agent, and his bookie gets paid a third while agreeing to cut Tony out of loans, the son gets a third put into the trust fund until he's gradated from college, and the Dad's legitimate debts get paid first, so Morales'll pocket about fifteen but be debt-free and no one's trying to kill him or his family."

"So we now have a front for most of your asset transfers, Lex?" Faith remarked, "Do you think we should see if Pike and his old man might want jobs? Father-son repo and ready again side of things if the cute younger Morales is going to be night clerk?"

"Cool, Faith!" Lex enthused, "I hadn't thought about Pike's old man; if we keep them together and busy he'll have less of a chance of backsliding on Pike for a while, maybe until after he graduates, and I think the guy's pretty good with the tool work himself."

"What about the business side during the day, Lex?" Liam brooded (but not a wasteful annoying cryptic brood), you're spreading yourself too thin already, and even I need to rest a bit."

"Maybe there's another Calendar cousin needing a job?" Faith mused, "They sound like they're from a big family."

"Good Faith," Liam nodded, "And maybe we could squeeze things a bit and buy out that Zeph guy? He could do fix-it on the vehicles that come in if we can get Pike to do repo work. Maybe we should see if any off-duty police officers want day work?"

"Playing with fire, Liam," Lex laughed, then frowned, "Or maybe retired cops that know the area, and it will help us legitimize what we're doing if it gets by them and we learn what as cops they look for."

"What if you go at it with the insurance guys or whatever either selling to you at quarter-price like we do the used books and stuff here, or something," Faith suggested as the coffee got her really going, remembering her parents talking about how they'd cycle things around and 'clean' assets for agency use.

"Whoa, Faith," Xander smiled, then turned to Liam, "I think somebody might end up as a real corporate financial officer after college. More good ideas, I think we need to get you awake this early all the time."

"Don't even think it, pretty boy," the girl yawned, "I'm heading back for round two while the getting's good."

**December 28th, 1995**

"Okay, Xander, I don't have a cousin, but I have a friend who just graduated and was talking about moving out here," Diane said as Jenny sprawled out on a couch nursing a coffee before opening the shop, "We told her what it was, and she said her Uncle Carl in Chicago had kidded her about retiring out here. So I gave them the particulars, and they're both flying out next Tuesday."

"So which one of them'll take the job?" the young man asked.

"Well, I'm proposing that Uncle Carl actually be the day guy," Diane replied, "And Carlotta should be brought on as the manager and dispatcher, there's enough money to cover it, and it'll build in flexibility until you and Liam figure out the business of the business."

"Cool, thanks guys," Lex said, getting a pleased nod from Liam, who had hated keeping accounts since he'd been human the first time on his father's estate.

"A question Jenn and I have thought," Diane broached, "if you don't mind answering it, is where are you getting the money for this and the shop in London that your Uncle Ethan's setting up?"

"Well Diane, a lot of money comes from taking advantage of Liam's night activities," Lex replied with seeming trepidation, "We've been running an unofficial bail business, but with bookies instead of the courts, and kinda act as credit arbitrators, so between both sides we've become Morales' main 'referral' for business the last coupla months." Everyone in the room nodded as they each understood he was passing on technical truth without revealing the vampire dusting parts, and not knowing everybody in the room actually knew the truth.

"So you managed to save up enough until you could cut out the middle man?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, and we have folks in the shelters and neighborhoods on the look out for us, we pay a small cash finder's fee for anything we can reasonably salvage. And you'd be surprised at just how many family cars I've brought into the school auto shop without paying for labor."

"No one's noticed?"

"No one else's bringing in cars to work on, so no one's saying anything because it isn't an issue yet."

"Anything else?" Liam asked, then seeing gestures that there wasn't, "Then I think Lex and I are going to head out to a few contacts to check on business, then head to Sunnydale to check on the store there and see the kids."

**January 2nd, 1996**

Ethan Rayne waited quietly in the South Kensington Starbuck's. Rupert had actually sent an email letting him know that a second cousin of them both, and Sir Clarence Rayne, the current head of Ethan's family had agreed to meet where the rest of the family would be unlikely to espy them, the American coffee place at four. Ethan actually felt nervous; his 'son' had sent him the particulars of the recent acquisitions, and finally revealed how he'd been raising capital. 'Add four years and some serious rock music and he'd be the best of me an Ripper's crowd,' he smiled, 'And learning that Alexander had located Merrick's place and assumed creating identity by the Watcher to allay the fears of the Council. The boy had started sending 'that email due to a broken hand, as he could type with two fingers' and the old buggers had fallen for it. The copies to Ethan had impressed the troublemaker quite a bit, referring to a 'recovering slayer still able to attrition the undead' in the neighborhoods the boy and Angelus were clearing. And now the boy had learned of a particularly juicy target up in the Seattle area he was heading for next week, maybe enough to open another branch up there. He smiled at the picture of Alexander with a few chums, to hear a throat clearing.

"Well, Ethan, I'd expect you a little more attentive as you asked for this meeting," his Uncle Clarence emotionlessly remarked. Ethan stood up, gave a slight bow to the three, and gestured to seats.

"Uh, my apologies, sir, I was reflecting on the latest word from my boy Alexander in America," Ethan politely returned with a little apology in his voice, "He's doing quite well in his education, and is upholding our business interests while I'm in London."

"You never let us know you had a son, Ethan," the man reproved, the young woman with him grimacing slightly.

"Well I was told by my father and the Council to never contact them again while he lived, then cast out of the family."

"What you did wasn't easy to forgive, Ethan…" Clarence began, to have Ethan hold up a hand.

"And until I found out that the Council and the Giles' had forgiven my equally-guilty cohort Rupert, I kept my distance and made a life for myself. It's too late to make much in the way of amends, but I at least wish to see if the possibility of establishing family connections between Alexander and his cousins exists. I don't have to be invited to family gatherings, but I'd like to know if he can pass the entrance examinations, fairly, if the Raynes will help him into University and possibly if he proves himself, the Watchers, at least in America somewhere if not here at home."

"You don't ask for much do you?" the older Rayne responded, to have the younger woman place her hand on his wrist.

"He really isn't, Clarence, he's asking for Alexander, not for himself," Lara McConnell Croft quietly asserted, "And from the way you went on about him all the way here, the change in tactics after all this time should at least give it consideration."

"Lara, you'll never learn to hold a real grudge if you keep acting so infernally reasonable," the much older man sighed, then turned to Ethan, "Have him present himself after the current term is up, but that is all, Ethan, as I will not punish him due to Lara's intervention, but I still won't forgive you your brother's death in regards to the demon; you'd given me your word to protect him. Rupert will provide you with the contact information, and since Lara suggested leniency, she'll host him when he comes over and serve as that contact. Good day."

Rupert remained as the other two quickly departed, the young lady smiling encouragement, causing Ethan to query his former friend.

"Rupert, how old is cousin Lara these days?"

"Oh, hmm, twenty, why?"

"I was hoping younger, her willingness there to jump in for Alexander had me hoping she could serve as a slightly older peer for Alexander when he comes over."

"Urm, I'm sorry about Clarence, Ethan…"

"Don't be Rupert, this was for Alexander, and I'll take what little the man will give, for the boy's sake," Ethan sighed with only slight tiredness, "And I can only hope for the best."

**January 4th, 1996**

"Hey Pike!" Xander called out as his friend came in with his first official repossession, "How'd it go?"

"Okay, I guess…" the young man demurred, his mind elsewhere.

"Hey, where are you right now?" Xander asked wit concern, "Something go wrong?"

"Nah, it's Buffy's mom, she's forcing Buffy into counseling or something, I think Buffy slipped up and her mom thinks part of the gym fire was her fault after all."

"That really sucks, man, sorry to hear it."

**January 24th, 1996**

"So Pike, they letting Buffy out of, you know?" Faith asked the young mechanic.

"Yeah, and she's on full probation the rest of the year, one mistake and she's out."

"That's rough, but at least she's not still in the 'happy house' right?"

"Yeah, but it's gonna be rough, her father's pretty much turning away from her, but is putting in the right appearances."

"That's not right…"

**February 1st, 1996**

"Buffy's seeing Tyler again?" Faith asked Pike, "Why?"

"She's trying to be everything expected of her, even if it means fewer 'gang members' are dealt with," he replied, "And with her mom really making an effort for the first time in years…"

"Yeah, can't fight it, I hear ya?"

"So, what's Lex up to, I didn't see him today?"

"He had to fly up to San Francisco, the manager of the place was killed in a car wreck, so business calls. Luckily he doesn't have to miss a game, so school's cool with it."

"Bummer about why he's gone, so burgers again before I go to work?"

"Sounds good."

**February 1st, 1996**

The young man was going through the books with Liam and Gramms, double-checking to make sure everything was in place, having paid their respects earlier that day to family of their manager. The 'P' sisters had the afternoon off and had forced their way over Gramms' objections into helping out, confused by the 'yuck' factor of some things, sold at the same place as New Age trinkets and assorted books. They'd proved moderately helpful, Piper keeping Phoebe from breaking things mainly. Prue had surprised them all by really digging into the inventory and doing a great job, ignoring everything except as it pertained to getting the job down.

"So do you have someone in mind to manage the store yet Alex?" Prue suddenly asked. The chime of the door rang, though they'd posted the 'Closed' sign.

"I was wondering that same thing," Ethan asked with small but friendly smirk, receiving appropriately friendly hugs from the girls, even 'Gramms' before exchanging an enthusiastic handshake and manly hug with Alexander. Liam held himself in the back of the shop, uncomfortable to be in the presence of Ethan Rayne once again.

"Well, my boy, my plane was delayed, so I didn't make the service, and shall have to fly out early tomorrow, but I wasn't going to let you face this alone," Ethan remarked seriously, then gave a smile that included everyone, "And I see I needn't have worried. So, have you finally talked your 'grandmother' here into taking the position yet?"

"I'm not really interested, Ethan, but thank you for the consideration…"

"I'll do it!" Prue interrupted, "A-and Piper and Phoebe'll work part-time for extra money if I need help." Ethan smiled, but cocked an eyebrow at both 'Gramms' and Alexander, nodding that it was their decision.

"I don't think so, dear," her grandmother said, "This business attracts a rather weird clientele."

"Gramms, I need a job, and starting as a retail manager would give me a boost," the young woman insisted, "And their online income has grown remarkably in only five months!" Alexander looked at both women, sighing, then turning to Ethan.

"Well, Unk," he said with an exaggerated headshake, "The ideal situation would be to have Gramms take on the store, so she can keep the weirdoes away, and I've been suggesting to you that I need a Retail Manager so I can keep up my studies."

"Well, with that online stuff, on top of the mail order, I'm inclined to agree," he returned in an equal mock whisper, "But I won't let your Clan Alexander blow itself into little pieces by letting any one but 'Gramms' make this decision."

"See, Gramms!" Prue enthused, "I just handle the business side of things, and maybe help set up the Seattle store next month. Please!"

"Oh god, please just say yes so she'll stop," Phoebe whined lightly, rolling her eyes as Piper snickered in the corner, "And besides, this is San Francisco, weird is a trademark Prue's embraced."

"Hey!"

"And more importantly, when she's outta town it'll be quieter."

"Hey!"

"Fine," the older woman capitulated, receiving sympathetic smiles from Ethan and Alexander, "But we'll set the ground rules before we officially accept."

**Later that Night**

The three males had seen off the women after finishing take-out, gathering in the back of the now-quiet store, Liam somewhat reticently. Ethan had treated him well enough in front of the gals, but who knew what would happen now.

"I did some research after a few of Alexander's messages revealed what you'd been up to," the chaos mage began, cocking an appraising eyebrow at the vampire, "And I can see that your soul is more…anchored than before. That being the case, and as you've provided protection and support… thank you…Liam Angel." Liam let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd taken.

"It was my…pleasure," the former Angelus replied, then risked a gesture at Lex, "Even with the danger of pithy remarks gone astray."

"Hey!" the young man responded with a smile at his uncle, "It must be your inspiration, usually he's not this good at the zingers."

"Nevertheless, what I am about to say is for the demon in you in case it gets free, not for the soul of Liam with whom I am pleased," Ethan continued, "I am a Chaos Mage, demon, and if you take control, simply walk away and do your mischief somewhere else. If you cause trouble for this family or its friends, I will find you and make the Romany look like happy little fairies on greeting cards in comparison. I'll curse you with happy nauseating little warm and fuzzy feelings that make me sick and I am human." He smiled, straightened his jacket, and smiled, and offered his hand to the vampire, "There, that's done, my thanks Liam, and I've noticed you're not on the payroll, are you taking a share out of the, shall we say, capital line item?"

"Not a lot, I really don't have that many expenses," the vampire informed him, then smiled slightly, "And 'little brother' here keeps picking up strays and building his business empire to employ them…"

"Ah, I have noticed that his expansions already seem to have personnel ready at hand, doesn't he?" he nodded with a small head shake, "And while on the subject of family, Alexander, I've not quite sealed the rift with mine, but they've agreed to give you the once-over this summer, and possibly clear the way for you to attend Oxford when the time comes."

"Oxford, Uncle…father?" Xander asked, unsure of the situation, but appropriately expressing his emotional state, "Really?"

"Yes, but it will be your choice, one I hope you will make if the family doesn't quite take us, you, in as deserved, and at the very least you'll be taking examinations for credits that can favorably transfer to a lesser institution of your choice."

"Sounds fair, I guess, and by then I should be done with setting up the Seattle store."

"Why a store in Seattle? The vampire looting I understood from your post."

"Well, the only stores up there are these two places, an occult bookstore that also deals with rare and hard t find issues which we've occasionally cross-ordered from, and is run by distant cousins of ours, a Linda Pryce and her stepmother, Eleanor Harris-Pryce, who are wanting to be with some infirmed friends back in Boston. We can offer them a fair and clean deal, I believe, and perhaps set them up in a Boston branch as managers, hmm?"

"My god lad, that's brilliant!" Ethan enthused, then became slightly more reticent, "And you've researched the family a bit, eh?"

"I used a memory spell to recall Mother's words to you, 'You raise Alex from them, but teach him,' and that's good enough for me…Father, but you also taught me to be thorough and not let the tweed brigade learn who I am." The vampire placed a reassuring hand on the lad's shoulder, nodding in support.

"Thank you, my son," Ethan said, the chronic troublemaker choking on the oddity of normality in his life, "….and you said there was a second business?"

"Oh, yes," he replied, his language improving with the return of his father-figure, "There's a magic store bordering a 'warehouse' district that is being 'gentrified' but younger professionals even though there's a surprising number of fairly low-key covens and others in the area. If I remember, there's either a gallery or a martial arts studio and bar nearby, nothing bad."

"So where exactly is it?"

"They're between a couple smaller cities up there, Cascade and Seacouver, and it would give us a convenient regional position for traditional retail-purchasers. I forwarded the particulars to your last e-mail location, as well as possibilities in Detroit and Toronto."

"Hmm, Toronto, maybe, but I think Chicago would be a better location if you're thinking about the region."

"Toronto," Liam contributed, "Has a quiet but active population that fringes if not actually interacts with the supernatural."

"Ah, after this Washington business, maybe we'll meet and open yet another site, but finding help you can trust…we'll see," Ethan nodded, appreciating lucre as much as a bit of trouble for the unchanging, "Oh, how is the side-line stuff you mentioned?"

"Going well," Lex added, "we're already running at a solid break-even without our 'extra acquisitions,' and we added a retired officer named…"

"..Lockley," Liam replied, "And so far he's giving us a solid reputation for trying not to get into any trouble, so the police are giving us a favorable eye and a little extra cover." Ethan nodded appreciatively, like a donut shop owner working the late shift with cops around.

"Excellent, in that case why don't we make the rounds of the town, and call it a night, shall we?"

"Oh, I have one add bit of news," Xander replied, "And we'll keep this to ourselves for now, but apparently a cousin of mine…ours? Any way, I go to school with him, his name's …


	9. Chapter 9

**_Change in Regimen 9?_**

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

**February 24th, 1996 LA General Hospital, Late Morning **

"Well Merrick, I see from the guest sheet, that Buffy's been by already this week," Xander told the slowly improved but still comatose man, "I was rather hoping you might regain consciousness by now, but it looks like I might have to go through my father's plan after all. It appears a cousin of mine has taken a shine to her and is determined to continue assisting her in her duties."

He paused for a moment, then smiled disingenuously, "That tale of the small village wasn't the complete truth, you know, that's only where your family is from and landed, I'm surprised that you didn't at least let her know that the Watchers are not just the few covens of different magics living near Stonehenge, but a labyrinthine aggregation of international commerce, secular intrigue, and power that however unwieldy and mismanaged is going to come looking for her if I stop sending in updates in your handwriting."

"You what?" Pike asked as he came into the room, staring at Xander incredulously, "You know all about this stuff?"

"Yeah, it's not just that I know they exist, I was born into this stuff," he replied, "To keep Buffy from dealing with the Slayer stuff and her family problems, I've been creative with the books, Pike, adding two or three vampires to her weekly totals, and giving a little 'British narration' to keep them satisfied."

"So you're a Watcher guy?" Pike asked with disbelief.

"No, I'm who you think I am, but got caught up with a Slayer when I was really little," Alexander replied, not explaining just how young or how he was involved, "She saved my life and this is partial repayment."

"Oh," Pike replied, accepting the words with the somber look on a face usually smiling, "So why haven't you told Buffy?"

"Why worry her? And besides, does she even know about the rest of us?"

"Um, not really…" Pike conceded, "Maybe about Faith, but after everyone at the dance turned their backs on her and denied it, I don't know what she thinks."

"Well, if you're here, Buffy must be around here soon, huh?"

"Yeah, she should've been here already, ya better go before she finds out your secret."

"Thanks, I'll see you Monday, I have a plane to catch…"


	10. Chapter 10

_**Change in Regimen 10?**_

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

**February 29th, 1996 – Seacouver, Washington**

Alexander and Jenny had flown up the previous night in what was ti be a last acquisition before Pru took over as business manager. As all of the negotiations were fairly straight forward, and Gramms was running Pru through the retail side of things, the young professional would have a clean slate on which to gain experience.

It turned out that instead of further apart as he'd first believed, the book store and the magic shop were separated by an abandoned herbalist shop with overhead apartments. Considering how well the LA building worked out for them, Xander had steamrollered the bank holding the lien on the place to bankroll the property value, necessary upgrades and the two business acquisitions. Since it meant a deficit property was off the books and a new secondary bit of business accrued, the bank's vice president was happy to rush matters.

At five that evening, possession of the premises and keys from the owners, Alexander asked them, Linda Pryce and her sister Amanda, to dinner to discuss the possibilities of a business arrangement in Boston.

From across the street, four large men left a bar and crossed toward a very well maintained early 1970s Cadillac parked as it happened, between the former proprietors' Volvo, and the rented Buick sedan Jenny was getting into. Too late, Alexander realized that the men were in fact hungrily looking at Jenny and the British women in a food manner.

The vampires in old-style suits smirked as they began to use thirty-year-old pick up lines in their Back East accents, Xander reaching to the Colt he kept belted to his lower back. Even as the vampires for the first time noticed him, he was firing at very close range, and managed two face shots and due to the proximity to the Brits, settled for five shots that connected only two solid hits, one obliterating a femur and the other managing s spine hit about mid-back. The fifth, grabbed Amanda Pryce, calculated his odds, then heaved her up into the air at Xander, taking the opportunity to head up the dark alley and away as two successive fire spells failed to connect.

"Jenny, if you can, strip the head cases and dust 'em; I want everything," He set Amanda down, the pain in his side indicative of a bruising or sprain to his great joy. "Linda check your sister, and stand back, please, while I do a little questioning.

With a nasty smile, Lex Rayne approached the two struggling and swearing vamps now reaching for guns; the son of the Chaos Mage calmly aimed and fired at near-point-blank range, destroying two shoulders each. He adopted his father's accent and put his heel into the slightly-healed femur wound, causing great pain and swearing.

"Now, enough of the bad language, old man, or I'll dust you; since the answers I want will mean you get wasted by your comrades, you have nothing to lose by cooperating. And my next shot with make you a girl."

The vampire winced as quiet as he could suddenly, "What do you want?"

Two minutes later, the two looted, all four became dust.

"Jenny, I'll take the Cadillac; Good attempt at the vampire earlier, Ms. Pryce…I'm surprised a Watcher ever dirtied its hands on the work fit only for a Slayer."

"How do--?"

"We can exchange answers for questions after we meet up at the next gas station; I hear distant sirens."

The somewhat wary Watcher women stepped out of their cars as Lex Rayne popped open the trunk of the car into which he'd tossed the belongings of the vamps. They were rather impressed at the arsenal of automatic weapons, including two Tommy guns and ammo, and assorted shotguns. Plus a lot of cash.

"This can't be good," Jenny mused, looking to see if they were being watched.

"No kidding," Lex almost spat, "I guess we'll have to postpone dinner; I'm starting to believe those two vamps."

"What that the one that got away was Jimmy Hoffa?"

"Yeah, look at the vintage of the weapons, suits and such…it could be, or at least the guys who murdered him. And if he calls the ones they said were still at the hotel, we'll either miss them altogether when we attack, or only run into half of 'em."

"Alexander, they said there were eight of them left."

The young man with the baby face, turned to Linda, "You up for some housecleaning? You and your sister get half of what we find that wasn't invented after 1900?"

"Very fun, but as we might have been identified, we agree, but we must do it now while surprise is ours."

"I usually am unimpressed with Watchers, Ms. Pryce. I hope at some point in the future, you might become the assigned Field Watcher to a Slayer."

"We'll discuss your knowledge of Watchers after this is over, young man."

"Well, we'll certainly see what we can exchange."

Three sedans of the four reported were accounted for in the parking lot of the motel or the all night eatery next door. Getting close to the rooms confirmed by the vampires and possession of keys, the group moved nonchalantly close and Xander cast a spell to determine demonic auras. He found all five of six bloodsuckers bunched together in one room. Xander got down to the ground on his back, Linda only slightly to his rear and side standing up. The young man kicked the door open hard…opening up with a double-barreled shotgun while the Watcher let loose with two exhausting fire spells. Of the five, three were dusted, one fled toward the bathroom on fire and another groaned without legs below the knees. Jenny mustered her own ability and a small fire spell eliminated the runner.

Quickly they moved in, grabbed personal belongings, luggage, weapons and cash before Xander forced the name of their sire out of the wounded vamp…it was indeed Hoffa. The demon was almost grateful when dusting came…

Having arrived in just the emptied Cadillac, Jenny headed toward it while the three others each jumped into a vehicle for their agreed rendezvous point.

"Do you two do this often?" Amanda Pryce demanded as they alighted the vehicles, the shock and adrenaline starting to wear off, "Because you're bloody insane, Mr. Harris!"

"Frequently, but not every night, Ms. Pryce," the boy sighed, "let's get down to caching valuables and getting out of here."

"No, Mr. Harris, it's all yours…we only assisted to eliminate the vampires," Amanda objected, "While we have no issue with you profiting from it, nevertheless it seems to much like robbing the dead for comfort. And I'm not referring to the demons."

"Alright, give us a few minutes, and we'll meet for dinner as planned? We really would like to discuss the possibility of having the two of you operate a similar establishment in Boston for us."

**March 31st, 1996 – The Store in LA**

"Jimmy Hoffa?" Faith said in disbelief, "You're kidding, right Lex?"

"Wish I was, Faith…" the young man sighed, "And while we made out quite well, the Pryces are considering our offer; they make a reasonable income, we have experienced people on hand."

Angel looked concerned, "So what else did you find out about Hoffa?"

"Right now, we did enough damage to him and his network, three of those vamps were his lieutenants in a trafficking network between there and Chicago, that there's a free for all jumping all over him and his assets."

"That could be bad…if he loses and survives he might come looking for payback, and if he wins he'll have to hunt you down as an example."

"Wonderful, what do you suggest?"

"I'll head up to Washington and maybe a few of the other cities…kill as many of his loyal minions as I can," Angel considered, "And see if I can finish him off. Since none of them should know me, I can blend in better than you."

Jenny interrupted, "So you two…are you Irish and Sassenach I've heard rumors about?"

Angel smiled, and Xander nodded a little in embarrassment, before replying, "Yeah, we are. Who else knows ?"

"My cousin…you guys…I don't' know specifically anyone else."

"Okay let's keep it that way," Xander continued, "Liam, are you sure you don't need any back up?"

Jenny spoke up, "I'll handle the store opening and watching the place. Liam can do the Dark Avenger thing."

Xander nodded, "Think you can contact one of the local covens to do a serious anti-invitation spell? Keep you and the customers as safe as possible."

"I'll see what I can do, but if it works we might want one for every one of our places, then just invite Liam in."

Faith finally asked the questions that had been building, "So Lex, what'd you find in the mobster vamp room and cars? Anything cool?"

"Bunch of Tommy gins and ammo for them, a few shotguns, four rocket launchers a hundred gees in small bills and a hundred kilos of different drugs. We flushed those."

"Wow, Liam's right, that Hoffa vamp's gonna be ticked."

Xander turned to Jenny for a moment, "See if the coven could come up with some kind of protection spell we could put on the fronts of our buildings that would keep bullets out for a few seconds or even a minute?"

"Something like that would have to be very powerful, Lex, but I'll ask."

"Hey, tell them we can do for a given cash amount or twice as much in trade credit, and we'll cover the components costs."

"I'll do that," she smiled at the teen businessman, wondering what he would have been like with a normal childhood. Not that she'd really have wanted that for him, as the prodigy before her sure kept life interesting.


	11. Chapter 11

**_Change in Regimen 11?_**

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

**March 19th, 1996 – **

Xander had sent his two friends off seriously well-armed two weeks ago, and already progress was made on both the financial and Hoffa fronts; the Pryces accepted his offer and with only a slight tightening, was able to send Pru out to Boston to learn the business end a little more. He'd assured Gramms after talking to Linda and Amanda, that the two would only as a last resort reveal the true situation that there was a supernatural world, and that they'd keep an eye out.

Angel had cut a swath, a different times and with a slight play on accents, posing as Irish or Sassenach before letting one mauled and wrecked minion survive to spread the tale as he finished off others. So far, the effect was to further splinter Hoffa's attempts at recouping losses, and the vampire mobster relocated to Chicago in an attempt to rebuild his base.

Knox and a vampire named Penn had begun making a name for themselves in the seedier neighborhoods less-frequented by 'Irish and Sassenach' where some street kids had been able to hole up in a couple of different places, but luckily were just able to avoid being overrun. Lex insisted on the occasional hit on suspected Knox drug houses to keep the kids less under fire; the sudden introduction of machinegun fire sparking general gang warfare between the lesser groups Knox and Penn were trying to unite.

But avoiding being caught, or making as much of an impression to detract from Liam's 'Irish and Sassenach' stratagem elsewhere, he limited himself and concentrated on school and on business consolidation.

He'd also had time to delve fuller into memories spells and psychic reading of object spells. Different variations he'd learned from both grams and Ethan over the years, cautioned by both. But with so much threatening his extended family and employees across the country, he had the impression that the amulet in the vault from his family could help him.

Alexander had gathered the necessary materials for different spells, a 'reading' spell, and a memory recovery spell. The young man created a circle and spell symbols within a smaller circle for the first spell, then safely outside of it he readied a second circle for the memory spell, and then after a lot of waffling, created a certain 'séance' circle around that, with objects from the three who had died so long ago at three points. The young mage placed the five flambeau on the far circle, careful not to let them overlap the next circle in; they in and of themselves held no purpose other than mental emphasis, but if they crossed the lines, then it might have the unknown effect of altering or combining the spells. Having mostly and separately prepared them in advance except for the activation word, he was ready.

Sighing with emphasis, he began the generic activation of the first spell, the reading of the spell before he realized that Faith had entered the room.

"Hey, What—" she began, then tripped over the paint pot and feel forward, her arm just tapping a flambeau as Xander reached outside his circle to keep her from coming to harm.

'I can't believe I just broke the biggest and simplest rule,' he thought, 'securing the spell from physical interruption.'

Prismatic light flashed, then nothing, then he found himself in what seemed to be an endless white place, only Faith with him. She picked herself up and looked over her friend's shoulder.

"Um, who are you people?" Lex turned around to see three people smiling and walking over to them, ones he could remember clearly only from pictures.

"Mom? Dad? Maria?"

"Alessandro…" "Alex…" "Son…"

"Hey Lex, these your family?"

"I think so, but how?"

Jessica Harris hugged her son, who after a shocked moment hugged back. His father mussed his hair, and Maria gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Mom? How?"

"Your spell getting mixed, Alex," Jessica told her son, finally letting him go, "You and … Dana … Faith? are still in your room; we're in your minds."

"Lex?"

"Yeah, Faith?"

"Um, we're not dead are we?"

"I don't think so…"

Anthony Harris chuckled, "No, but we don't have much time. Alex, know that we will always love you. And that unlike superman's dad, I'm really here."

"Lex, your dad's a comic geek?"

"Can you say that louder Faith, I don't think the next brain over heard ya?" he said, rolling his eyes, "And somehow it seems okay."

Jessica looked serious, "We have to leave soon, Alex. But we're proud of you and your …"

"Step-father," Anthony Harris asserted, "It's okay to call him dad or father or pops, son. He's done far more for you than we could have hoped, though don't get so carried away with the vampires, boy. Remember to live life."

Maria Castle placed a hand a shoulder of each youth, "Turned out to be handsome young man, Alessandro, and your girl here might have a Destiny ahead of her."

Alexander didn't dispute her relationship statement, but noticed her meaningful look from him to Faith, "Any way to avoid it?"

"Get her to eighteen before the next Slayer is called? But it could happen; I feel it."

Faith caught on, "You mean be a Slayer like Buffy? Whoa…"

Lex smiled sadly, "I hope Buffy lives into her 80s, Faith. Hunting demons is one thing, but having them hunt you isn't something I like."

"Hey, my folks were people who accepted duty and did their bit. How can I do less?"

Jessica interrupted, "Alex, we have to go now, but be safe. Faith, if something seems wrong, it's because the way the spell combined…he's going to not only get the memories, but he might relive them all in a split second."

"Yes, ma'am…" Faith said as Alex 'left the room.' Strangely she was still there.

Maria smiled, "You love Alessandro?"

"I'm kinda young, but I think so…he's been there for me the whole time since…well, since my folks died." She missed the look between the souls.

Jessica smiled, "If anything comes of it, you have our blessing…from his memories we can see he's been kept happy and not just become a demon hunter…a lot of that's because of you. Thank you."

Anthony hugged the girl, "Be his friend if nothing else, but take care of yourself as well, Dana. Bye."

Maria hugged the girl also, then touched Faith's forehead, "And if you become a Slayer, you'll get my memories of fighting. It might help turn them into skills faster. Oh, and on a Slayer's eighteenth birthday, the Council strip a Slayer of her powers to face a vampire alone. It's wrong. Be aware."

And Faith woke to Lex's whimpering and gasping in a fetal position. She spooned him and held him until they both fell asleep.

"You okay?" Xander asked her the next morning as the dawn gleamed through the window. She smiled, then smiled again as she remembered the Dream.

"We met your family…"

"I guess so…"

"So…you memory guy now?"

"I have a lot of stuff in my brain that I need to sort through. A lot of it was in the background for when I needed to draw on it, but now I…know what's there. Two Oxford educations and Slayer memories…and except the fighting, I could really do without the latter."

"Why's that?"

"I think I died about 10,000 times last night…Maria didn't realize that while Slayers get one big montage that kind of integrates it all into a training video, I got the fine print during each of their Slayer moments."

"Why you?"

"Do you remember everything you did on October 19th, 1989?"

"No?"

"Your brain does, even if you can't really access it? I got theirs…and I'm just happy that I now don't have it all eidetically."

"How much do you remember?"

"I don't know yet, but I have a lot of languages and dialects I'm barely suppressing right now. And I'm noticing you do a great job of conditioning your hair."

"Um, okay. But it was nice that you could see your folks again…"

"Yeah…it was. Breakfast?"

"Cook it or buy it for me, I'm game…"

"Okay, let's get ready for the day and head out…"


	12. Chapter 12

_**Change in Regimen 12?**_

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

**March 29th, 1996 LA General Hospital**

Ethan and Alexander entered Merrick's room around four in the morning. The previous evening Ethan had returned from England for the day, though he wouldn't be staying long due to his continued attempts to win over minor family members in accepting Alexander as a Rayne and as a potential for formal Watcher training.

The mage had cast a dissuasion glamour, which kept staff from taking notice of them, and was determined to awaken the comatose Merrick and have it look like Alex had done it.

The chanting over, Ethan gasped in exhaustion and staggered from the room and out of view. Xander, who had lent quite a bit of energy himself, had remained as planned, holding the man's hand as he stirred.

"What?" Merrick replied scratchily. Xander tipped a glass of water just a tiny bit into the man's mouth, "Who are you?"

Xander examined the man, checking the aura and finding him mostly restored, though the effects of many months of bed rest would require some time for recovery.

"First, it's been four months since you entered a coma, Mr. Jameson-Smythe, and I've covered for you in that time. But it's beginning to wear thin, and I'm sure eventually the Council will send some one in person to check on you and Buffy."

"Y-you didn't answer my question," the Watcher stated, Xander helping him to sit up.

"I'm the one who brought you out of the coma; can't you smell the remaining wisps in the air? Any way, I'm Alexander Rayne, at your service. Though I usually go by the surname Harris to avoid obvious reasons."

"Rayne?" Merrick considered, "I don't remember meeting anyone of your age?"

"That's because my father's name is Ethan, Mr. Jameson-Smythe, but counter to his reputation of twenty years ago, it amused me to continue reporting to the Council as you, in your handwriting. You've even started using e-mail of all things. Quite the trend setter, you are."

"What of Buffy?" the Watcher asked, "Is she alright?"

"Lothos is dust, though a recent master named Knox, a protégé, seems to be rebuilding after meeting several reverses in the last…four months. It seems there are a few hunters out there causing enough damage that one might think it was the slayer. Buffy is physically fine, but her family is beginning to disintegrate; they had her committed for a couple of weeks over the vampire rumors. She occasionally dusts a vampire that wanders in front of her, but really needs her old Watcher to mentor her through the next months."

"How did…" the Watcher paused, low on energy.

""How did I keep your Council from finding out? I forged your diary entries and reports, attributing half the total from the hunters as hers. Now, Buffy knows me, but doesn't know what I've been doing, or that I know about vampires, Mr. Jameson-Smythe. I don't know if you are aware of our magic supply business, but the Rayne's are quite established, so it would not be beyond you make use of my services. Father is back in England most of the time, trying to be seen as legitimate like Rupert Giles and the others, so if you need anything you can contact me, whether it be translations or even training your slayer a bit. But as Buffy needs stability, I'd suggest for now, you keep my assistance to date between us."

Noticing how tired the Watcher seemed, Xander reached into his pocket and handed a business card, "Here, my contact information. Also, I had you rent time on a computer, fax, printer and such out of my shop, you'll find it in your ledgers, and it's at ten percent below market rate, so you've not been shorted. Please come by at your discretion, and I'll provide you with orientation so that even should you purchase your own, you'll be able to use it. I better leave now, sir, I'll let the professionals know you're awake."

**April 3rd, 1996**

The door chimed, announcing entry into the store by another prospective customer. Mr. Merrick Jameson-Smythe cautiously entered the establishment, noting the considerable and impressive inventory and arrangement. 'Professionals and not debutantes, then,' he thought to himself, 'Though from his reputation I'd never expect Ethan Rayne to be so orderly, or commercial.'

"Can I help you?" a pleasant young woman in her middle twenties asked with a smile, "As you can see we have a wide variety of items."

"Yes, I believe I can find Mr. Harris here," he stated, handing Alexander's card as well as his own as means of introduction. Being the only Watcher he knew of that was also a Reincarnate, meant he tended to keep habits of former lives.

"Alexander, yes, please allow me to call him down for you," she nodded professionally, and gestured to a reading area of two large couches and two loveseats around a large coffee table, "Please make yourself comfortable, would you care for tea?"

"Yes, thank you," he replied, and hoped that in a place where a Kalderash worked for Rayne meant a proper cup.

Several minutes later, Xander came down the stairs in the back, wearing a white dress shirt, black slacks and dress shoes, quite impressive and professional for a teenager. He held out his hand to Merrick.

"Mr. Jameson-Smythe, I hope we're meeting under friendly circumstances?" Xander asked as they shook, then gestured for Merrick to sit again, "I hope you enjoy the tea? The girls like the Lady Grey blend."

"Quite a pleasant cup, thank you, Mr. Harris, or do you prefer I call you Rayne," Merrick replied, enjoying the niceties of polite conversation, "And I brought by 'our' journal entries for the last several months. I've read them, but it would help if you would be willing to provide me with the full story from your viewpoint."

"It happens I have the rest of the day free, and please, call me Alexander, that way I don't keep looking for my father. And if you must, Harris, as it is the name everyone in Los Angeles knows me by. Including Buffy."

"Ah, in that case please call me Merrick…"

Four hours later, and four months of diary entries had turned into general exchanges of viewpoints and knowledge of LA demons and vampires, which were the worst each had come across and so forth.

"Jimmy Hoffa as a master vampire?" Merrick smiled as he shook his head, "I find that more disturbing than much of what you've told me."

"Well, that was a generally odd trip," Xander smiled in remembrance, "I go to set up a business presence, run into more Watchers, and then am attacked by Hoffa's bunch. Somehow I just don't think I've seen the last of them."

"So, now that you've passed the torch back, as it were, what will you do now?"

"The business is about ready for a period of consolidation, growing what we have, so when I'm not trying out this whole 'adolescence' thing, I'll patrol for vamps a few nights a week, and be available to you and your slayer should you need a little help."

"While it is traditionally a duet arrangement, I believe in keeping Buffy alive for as long as we possibly can, and since she managed to end the terror that was Lothos, it is possible for new methods to be considered." Merrick stood, gathering his possessions up. "Alexander, I'll stay in touch, and probably continue using the email of reports if that offer is still open."

"And not just to keep an eye on me just in case?"

"Not just," the Watcher smiled, appreciating a teen that understood a bit of nuance.

The next seven weeks went by fairly quickly, business steadily growing without the addition of new retail units, school and the sports activities he'd joined being enjoyable, and very little on the evil-fighting front.

From Pike and Merrick, Xander and his group knew how the Slayer was beginning to undertake her training again, her parents were inexorably splitting and she was throwing herself into the cheerleading thing was an outlet of normality for her.

Faith was doing quite well, and though she hadn't really been involved in gymnastics previously, she'd decided to pursue a place on the team and had actually been noticed when the Hemery team had come in fourth at the State competitions. Since she'd become friends with Pike, and a good acquaintance with Buffy, she'd tossed her hat in the ring when an injury left the Hemery cheerleaders down a member. To her surprise and her new family's delight, she'd made the team.

And until returning as runners-up from the state championship, nothing from the night life seemed to have carried over until the night of the Prom. Normally, freshmen wouldn't be seen there, but as both Xander and Faith had made names for themselves on the varsity teams, and Pike was a year ahead of them and taking Buffy, none of the 'cool crowd' made a fuss.

Xander hadn't planned to go until he'd been out with Faith and noticed the wistfulness she'd had as she looked in a window with gowns.

"I wasn't planning to go, but I guess I could buy a tux if you promise to wear that," he'd told her with a smile.

"It'd be nice," she sighed, looking at the dresses again. "You sure you want to take me?"

"Of course…it's just that I'm not used to any of this type of thing. Or I might have asked sooner." She noticed his slight blush that accompanied an embarrassed look.

"Okay, let's go," she smiled, dragging him back to the store entrance.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Change in Regimen 13?**_

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME  
characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

**Friday, May 17th, 1996 – Prom Night**

Buffy had regained much of her equilibrium since the return of her Watcher, Merrick Jameson-Smythe, and as he knew of the back up she was quietly receiving, had her concentrate on training and short random patrols that happened to guide her into areas arranged with Alexander.

The Watcher let her know that 'Irish and Sassenach' had contacted him, and that he Merrick had decided to a tentative understanding of mutual support in which they'd cover the same areas at approximately the same time. At first, Buffy hadn't been too sure, but as time went by it made sense to have more than one or two people fight vampires and be able to respond if in the same vicinity. She'd mentioned something familiar about the 1-4 masked individuals that seemed to comprise or support the demon hunting group, but couldn't put it into words.

Oliver Pike had been secretly training with Faith and Alex (as he began to prefer since the meeting with his folks), learning the basics and slowly but surely spending time patrolling in a support role, using weapons he'd familiarized himself with. He much preferred the ambush and regroup, ambush and regroup strategy to a head on one. After the gym last year, his ass really didn't feel an overwhelming need to have vampires kick it.

As Pike had become known to Merrick previously, the young man also served as a liaison, showing up to serve as a not-to-be-over-tenderized sparring partner with the Watcher guiding the Slayer and Pike into improvements. And some of the time, when Merrick accompanied his Slayer, Pike would stand back and provide occasional water-pistol support spraying vamps with holy water as Merrick finished off the occasional strays getting past the Slayer.

On a relationship note, Buffy and Pike had begun to see each other a little more, but nothing serious, but had decide to go to the Prom with each other – now they only had to figure a way to avoid her parents finding out.

The master vampires Penn and Knox had proven to be quite the problem, even with the depredations of hunters and Slayer in the area. Liam only occasionally had made it back to maintain the Irish and Sassenach presence enough and to let his family know that he'd only been able to keep factions fighting amongst themselves. Unfortunately, a very old and particularly nasty vampire named Kakistos out of New York and Boston had taken an interest in matters, and as Hoffa's sire, threw his support for the minion and the hunt for those mere humans that had managed to cause trouble. And he'd offered a bonus for the elimination of the demon hunters and Slayer as well.

And now, the old vampire seemed to have sent a few dozen vampires to Los Angeles to find and deal with the mortals.

"So what do think we should do, Liam?" the young man upon whom the vampire looked as a little brother asked, looking close to his actual age as he clearly worried about Faith, Jenny and their other employees.

"I think you should contact the Watcher, and we'll all be at or around the dance tonight, in case Knox wants to reenact the attack on the gym."

"Do you think it likely?"

"I do…it isn't original, but considering the Slayer was mentioned as a target, he might want to show himself to be a serious player. Hopefully he'll try before any others do."

"Okay, Pike and I already have our cars parked near the corner exits; if you can stay near one of them, we still have the Tommy guns in the false trunk bottoms."

"Don't you think that a bit much?"

"Only if Knox and a few vamps show…if all of them show…I don't know how much magic I can do…like I told you the last time you were here…I have knowledge and skill, but I've never really tried to find how deep a power reserve I have."

"Okay, we'll go with that."

Buffy and Faith had become decent enough friends; the latter knew about Buffy's 'vocation' and was a fellow cheerleader not avoiding her because of the gym incident. The blonde girl definitely had a 'thing' for Pike, but with the whole parent disapproval thing going on, she couldn't openly attend the dance with him. Until Pike suggested they 'swap dates' officially but share the same limo and such. The girls thought it a fun idea, though Alex had felt a little awkward at deceiving Buffy's mother.

While Faith and Pike waited in the car, Alex stepped up to the front door and was let in by Mr. Summers, who according to Faith was making at least a show of effort to both his wife and daughter.

"Um, hello sir."

"Call me Hank, young man, and come in. Buffy's told us next to nothing about you."

"Is that good or bad Mr. Summers?"

Joyce Summers stepped in with a bit of a smirk, "Give the boy a break, Hank. He's that young businessman, remember Buffy telling us?"

"Not really, so how much are you worth kid?"

"Paper or liquidity, overall or net, personal, familial or corporate? And are you going to give me the same information, a non-disclosure form and a covenant not to compete?"

Hank Summers' eyes widened in shock at the battery of adult business questions that came as a response, but rallied slightly, "Fair enough, but how does a kid your age do so well in business?"

"As long as I stick to just the couple of things I know, which include finding loyal skilled help to cover execution, I'm good at those few things. Otherwise I'm just a high school student. I don't go out of my known capabilities. And I secure assets independently so if anything happens, my losses truncate on that basis."

Hank Summers turned to his wife, "I like him."

Joyce and Alex watched as the man simply nodded, shook the kid's hand and went back into his den. Both caught the other looking confused and amused.

"So, Mrs. Summers, it's a pleasure meeting YOU," he smiled a lopsided grin, and gave her a slight bow, "Is Buffy ready?"

Hoffa and his twenty well-armed minions had been whittled down to himself and only eight. But the two other vampires that stepped forward with twenty unimpressive vampires had made a difference.

"Why?" he asked.

Penn and Knox smiled, "We have an idea of why you're here, and we want to see the same bunch dead and gone."

"Demon hunter pair, maybe hanging around with a Slayer?"

"Those are the ones…and we know where they'll be in about an hour?"

The demon occupying the body of the vaunted union leader sneered, then laughed when he heard they'd be crashing a party of high school students, "Alright boys, there's plenty of killing to be done. Let's get ready and go."

One of the Knox minions in the rear, stepped back around the corner of a dark alley and ran. His real master, Trick, sent by Kakistos to report on the situation and eliminate the troublemakers as the beginning of a campaign to takeover Hoffa's fragmented territory, would be very interested in eliminating both groups of enemies at one time.

The Prom was just getting started as the pairs of friends showed up together, each noting those expected to provide back up should a problem arise. General talking and mingling took place, and for a short time, standing with the now-popular Xander and Faith, Buffy felt social again but with real friends nearby.

Maybe four hundred students attended this one, and even those not repressing the previous dance hoped that the other had been a one-time occurrence. Teachers and chaperones happily gossiped, much in the same vane as the students, and the dresses and suits added a shine to the evening.

Until of course gunfire erupted from three locations outside, within a space of only ten seconds. It happened that Buffy's group were standing well within the building and next to the administration staff as it started. The adults looked at Buffy.

"Hey, it's not me, and the last time I saved you people you tried to ruin my life. So handle it yourself."

The Principal was looking very uncomfortable, then Xander handed him a paper to sign.

"What's this?"

"A specific request of the administration staff to act as security in the event of a 'gang disturbance,' as well as an apology for scapegoating Buffy the first time. And this extends to the three of us with her. Also, it states that in the event she or us suffer the previous treatment, the school and district will provide legal defense and compensate each student one hundred thousand dollars as pure compensatory damages. All five of you here have to sign."

Two vampires stood in the door, and five pens within ten seconds had signed and dated the document. Buffy charged forward as particularly crappy minions charged in.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Change in Regimen 14?_**

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.. Joss/ME characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

**Friday, May 17th, 1996 – Prom Night**

Buffy engaged the charging vampires as Xander, Faith and Pike reached from caches to pull out super-soakers and pray down the vamps. The demons screamed from what other students had believed to just be objects of some prank. Buffy quickly staked four suddenly-distracted vamps without much effort, though she grimaced at the dust getting on her gown.

Outside, the vampires were as much starting to attack each other over rights to delectable meals on legs, as in trying to get into the building itself. Merrick at one side, soon joined by Pike, and Angel on the other, with Lex showing up, managed to use the firearms to great effect initially, tearing the guts out of two attacking groups as the third tried to get past a Slayer with holy-water fire-support.

Merrick shouted to Pike, "Oliver! Fire low to prevent hitting the other children! We must edge along the wall if opportunity arises, and join with Buffy!"

The young man nodded and in short bursts distracted vamps with lead.

Xander donned the black balaclava and doffed the jacket for a duster full of weapons and armored pieces, and soon found himself using a Tommy gun for sniping! A few bursts here, a few bursts there, were just enough to turn the vamps inward to the area without guns, though two over shots resulted in the vamps starting to shot at each other.

Buffy pushed the vamps back out the door, and with help from desperate students barred it with tables. She looked around, listened to gunfire outside start to subside, and move in the direction Pike had moved earlier. She ran to the side door, Faith right behind, and plunged through to find vampires wrestling Merrick and Pike to the ground. She lunged in the air, and Faith used up the last of the holy water wildly as she dove for a Tommy gun.

As Buffy kicked and punched, Faith remembered Lex showing her how to use this thing. She grabbed hard and started low, firing in short bursts and trying to correct. Vampires went down screaming from the large caliber hits, and the cars behind were damaged, and their security alarms going off. Pike stabbed from a mostly-prone position, dusting the wounded demons as best he could.

Police sirens could be heard in the distance, and suddenly vampires started bugging out as their sires ordered retreats. Angel and Xander charged and as possible used up ammo to decapitate vamps as possible, stopping only long enough to dust the bastards. Seeing flashing lights as they came upon Buffy and the others, Xander tossed his gun to Angel, "Hide these and get out of here!"

Faith did the same, and soon only the four students, bruised and beaten up, except for Buffy, who managed to remain fresh-looking, hovered around Merrick, who wasn't doing so well.

"Buffy, you and Faith get inside and clean up as much as you can. Pike and I will deal with whatever this is."

"Thanks, Lex…" both girls chorused as they moved inside and reset the door.

The wee hours the next morning saw an end to questioning by the police. Lex and Pike had mentioned two gangs starting a fight right in front of the prom, and that the old guy passing by had tried to convince the groups to leave and not cause trouble. When the principal came out, the official watched Xander rub his copy of the document signed earlier, and the man basically corroborated that a few football players thinking fast had barred the doors to protect hose inside. And that Oliver and Lex had tried to help the old guy.

Merrick, unfortunately, was once again sent into coma land, with several breaks in his legs to boot. The only good news came when Angel and Faith picked Lex up at the hospital later, and from what they could piece together, Knox and his bunch were history, and that two other groups were still out there fighting each other in a series of gun battles.

Faith sighed and rolled her eyes, "But the principal let us know, Lex, that he really doesn't want us or Buffy showing up for school next year. Even though he's officially admitting we did no wrong, he fears our 'established higher profiles' will attract gang vengeance and endanger others."

"Ah crap…well if all else fails, we can always end up in Sunnydale. And the town seems to be picking up in business and tourist trade lately. Might even make some money."

"Tell me that's not all you think about…"

"No, there are several diners and restaurants there with great lunch and dinner specials."

"Never mind."

**Saturday, May 17th, 1996 – 9 AM PST**

The next morning was one of assessment, and led Alexander, or Lex as he'd become popularly known, to call the number Merrick had given him in the event of a real emergency. He'd left a message with his father, Ethan, letting him know the no-doubt ill-advised action he was taking.

"Hello, Mr. Quentin Travers, please…Merrick Jameson-Smythe is in a coma in Los Angeles following an attack of the dentally-challenged…that's what I said…My name is Alexander Rayne, son of Ethan Rayne…Yes, I'll wait."

Five minutes later, a gruff yet noncommittal voice came on the phone.

"This is Travers."

"This is Rayne, Mr. Travers. I'm calling from a public phone; is this a secure line?"

"Yes it is."

"Three factions of vampire attacked Mr. Jameson-Smythe and Ms. Summers; the latter is fine, but the former is in a coma. With the current attention it would be ill-advised for a direct contact with her, but I can either escort the gentleman to London, or provide security until your people can arrive. But he does need serious medical assistance."

"I see. And you admit to being Ethan Rayne's son—"

"If you wish assistance you so won't finish that sentence, Mr. Travers. All I ask is to have any expenses reimbursed."

"Which factions?"

"A local group under one minor master named Knox, possibly of Lothos or Aurelius, but as these vampires use firearms I was unable to discuss his pedigree. And then two others of House Kakistos, one being James Hoffa and the other is possibly Trick from New York and Boston."

"How sure are you?"

"My team was there to prevent a massacre and attempt to keep your assets intact."

"Why would you care?"

"I don't like vampires; Slayers kill vampires. My heritage is such."

"Hmph. What is the situation?"

"Factions SEEM to be turning on one another, but that could change. The main weakness for your Slayer is her neutralized Watcher. From a wounded vampire we questioned later, the identity of the Slayer is unknown to the survivors."

"How sure are you?"

"The vampire was Knox."

"Ah. If we make the arrangements, when are you available, and how large a team?"

"Immediately, and two of us."

"Armed?"

"Nothing obvious. No firearms."

"Good, they don't work on vampires very well anyway."

"Well, they do well if high enough caliber and take out the legs. That way you can run or try finishing the job."

"Practical and not too cocky. Are you sure you're a Rayne?"

"While I was there at my conception I really wasn't aware of my parentage at the time, Mr. Travers, though I'm aware of my parents' identities."

A surprised and gruff laugh came over the phone.

"Alright young man, I've been informed that my assistant has made immediate arrangements for you and one other from the hospital, to the plane and here. One full day here for debriefing, then a return flight back late Monday. Tell me, is the other person with you your father?"

"No, sir. One of my hunting team, he might be mentioned peripherally in reports as Oliver Pike. Very promising hunter. We'll need to swing by and gather up Merrick's papers and such so they're not rifled through before your people can do a thorough job."

"Don't worry about that, we're sending personnel immediately; you and your associate get to the hospital, and follow the arrangements made. I presume you both have passports?"

"Surprisingly, we do. I'll leave at once."

The phone disconnected from the London end.

Pike had been shocked to find himself drafted; he'd thought the passports they'd gotten a few months ago were in case they needed to make a dash for Mexico if things went sour. Xander had loaned him a sports jacket, slacks and a belt, and they just fit for the most part to give him an almost-reputable appearance. They had first-class accommodations, and one of the hospital staff was in accompaniment; obviously the Watchers had the influence with money his father had told him.

There had been an amusing moment of revelation at the hospital; Faith and Buffy had shown up with Mrs. Summers, who'd been told they were visiting the man injured trying to save them all at the prom.

Joyce Summers had been less than pleased to see Buffy's "ex" but relaxed when Faith with a small smile had walked up and given the young man a peck on the cheek and a small hug, though relaxed when Buffy repeated the gesture with Alexander.

"Hey, Fish-Man, how's the old guy doing?" Faith asked as she peeked around to see the Watcher being readied for a move.

"He's being moved to London in a few minutes. Hopefully they'll manage to pull him through."

"So what's the what, with the suit, Pike?"

"Huh? It's one of Lex's…when he talked to the guy's family, they asked if someone could travel with and maybe explain what happened. Lex shanghaied me into going."

Buffy looked at Lex, "You know with a little warning, Faith and I would've liked to go; haven't been to London, yet."

Lex blushed a little, a rubbed the small bandage on his forehead, "Well, Buff, I figured after how things went last night, your mom probably wouldn't trust me take you for tacos, let alone out of the country."

Joyce smiled at the boy's pained expression, and nodded, "You're probably right, and Buffy needs to make sure her grades are up—finals begin week after next week, you know."

"I do, but I thought this would be the right thing to do." He noticed Joyce's suspicious glances between Buffy and Pike, "And I decided that Cousin Ollie could lift the heavy objects and all."

"Cousin?" Buffy asked before she could catch herself. "I didn't know you two were related?"

"And neither did he until just now…" the young man smirked, "When I ran his background check when he started work, I found out we're related sort of."

"And you didn't tell me?" Oliver Pike asked.

"You got the job on your own, Pike, why ruin it by having you think it was family?"

"Who's the relative?"

"Rory."

"Oh, okay then."

Buffy and Faith looked at the two males, and waited for more. Faith broke the silence.

"Well? That it? Pike?"

"Yeah, it explains why we're best friends but I get all the crappy jobs…he won't tell me I'm family, but he works me like family."

Joyce Summers was somewhat fascinated by the group dynamic.

"Oliver, just what do you do for Alexander?"

"I'm the mechanical guy."

Xander rolled his eyes, "Mrs. Summers, he does fix up everything, but that's just while he's working on troubleshooting the systems of all automobiles, tools, and building systems when we takeover a new place."

"Don't you hire professionals?"

"Yeah, but Pike is able to explain what he saw and translate for me what they're saying—it keeps them honest. Also, it helps for when he'll be making up his mind in a few years."

"Oh?"

"He's already studying for his ASE and other certifications, but with things starting to really pick up along the coast cities between here and Santa Barbara, I'm hoping he'll stay with me as Fleet and Facilities Manager. In five years he'll have just enough experience, but if not, he'll be a good Assistant Manager."

Pike rolled his eyes, "I'm already going to be making eighty or more a year…"

"Hey…no money talk in front of folks unless they're actually family…dating doesn't count," Xander cautioned, enforcing one of his father's few real rules. "Anyway, how'd we get on this subject? Not that it matters, since I'm the one dating Buffster" he said with a mock-glare at Pike "but Ollie here isn't like he was a year ago. He's actually responsible, ma'am. I wouldn't let him near Buffy or Faith if he weren't."

"Alexander, you said yourself, he was family…that gets a lot of lee-way…"

"Not in mine, Ma'am," he responded very seriously, "My father raised me to be the best person I could be by the time I graduate school, with all of his and my mother's skills and values. We expect the same from others, and now that Pike knows…he's in for a tough couple of years."

Joyce was uncertain about just how such a nice young man could be so intense, but it was very refreshing after the other boys Buffy had brought home over the last couple of years. She might even have pursued the conversation if the two male teens hadn't been waved over now that the man in the coma was ready for transport.

"Mrs. Summers, I hope to see you again soon.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Change in Regimen 15?**_

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners... Joss/ME characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

**Sunday, May 19th, 1996 – Watchers Council Headquarters – 3AM GMT**

Ethan Rayne nervously waited in the lobby with his old friend Rupert Giles as they heard Travers receive word that Merrick and the two young men were approaching the gate.

"You seem a bit…tense," Giles observed neutrally.

"Well, I hadn't really expected him to be here" Ethan replied "until he'd at least finished university. If then…considering my reputation."

"Um, yes. So does he know much about the Council?"

"I've told him almost everything I know, and he is quite aware of the supernatural, Rupert." Ethan stared into space for a moment. "And I'm a bit nervous myself…being back here is uncomfortable not knowing what Travers wants with my boy as far as questions are concerned."

Wesley Wyndham-Price scurried in his wake as Quentin Travers walked up beside them as guards opened up the doors. As he continued toward the door, he turned his head toward the pair.

"If he's kept things under wraps, you have nothing to fear from us, Rayne. The rest of your family are in good standing. Both of you follow me." As they stepped out, he continued, "Rupert, when this is done, I want you to head for California. If Watcher Jameson-Smythe doesn't pull through soon, you might be needed as an Interim Watcher."

"O-of course, sir."

The three were surrounded casually by a team of guards, and three other members of the Council that had been in residence when the call from Alexander Rayne had come through and were curious. Pike and Rayne exited out of the car that had brought them, as two guards opened the back of the ambulance to transfer Merrick to the Council's infirmary, which was of at least comparable treatment to most hospitals in the world.

Travers, Giles and Ethan Rayne reached the bottom of the steps when four cars raced up the street, and gunshots came from the rooftops across the way. Xander threw himself into an advancing Wesley, and they both fell over Travers, Giles and Ethan, wincing as his knee hit a step and a pain blossomed nastily in his side.

Wesley got up in a partial daze, but what little real training he'd had kicked in and he moved toward the ambulance to help get Merrick inside while the others focused on the fighting they were better at.

Reaching over and grabbing the older MAC-10 from a downed guard, Xander rolled over and sprayed the rooftop with dozens of rounds, and Travers despite his confusion saw that at least a couple of rounds tore out a man's face and knocked him off the building.

Gunfire, then the sounds of cars crashing into the front of the building and the ambulance interrupted a chance to catch breath. Pike was up, and looking around, Xander up with the energy of youth right after in spite of blood oozing from his side.

"Dad! Take care of the wounded guy with you!" he shouted and pointed at a winged Travers, "Pike, let's do it!"

They charged up behind the hard-pressed guards trying to protect Merrick from now-obvious vampires, the young men hoping to help in time. Xander reloaded an fired off the weapon into the sides of two vampires; he must of hit their spines or something, because when the bloodsuckers dropped from the trauma, they couldn't move their lower bodies. Then he saw Hoffa, Trick, and a really ugly ancient vampire getting out of a limousine.

Pike found a wooden baton and finished off the two downed vamps as Xander began drawing power and throwing it at the vamps as more Watchers raced out of the building. Merrick's gurney tumbled, and the man's body sprawled across the pavement. More vampires moved in and gunfire took a toll on both sides. Xander threw fire and Pike picked up the guns of fallen mercs to provide support for the Brits. But it wasn't quite enough. Watchers personnel either retreated into the building to commit to magical and ranged-weapons for counterattack, or fell in place to buy time for Travers, and the now-wounded (minor) Giles and Rayne to be rescued.

Wesley had taken a blow to the side, and was knocked half under the limousine; he picked up two weapons from bodies lying next to him, and proceeded to aim at vampire heads and spray, repeating this five times successfully until a minion on his way toward the Watcher front door backhanded the Brit into unconsciousness.

Lead tore through windows to keep the humans from managing too-effective of a deterrence, as the master vamps stepped up toward the Watcher and the boys that had caused them trouble. Pike ran around the ambulance in hopes of finding another weapon and flanking the demons, only to be slugged by a lingering minion. Oliver's body flew unconscious down to the pavement and half-under the ambulance. Gunfire tore through the vamp and dusted it, allowing Lt. Michaels, saved earlier by Pike, to pull the lad the rest of the way to cover.

Very few vampires were left, but Hoffa moved in to finish off the boy as Trick headed to the Watcher with Kakistos. Hoffa leapt forward at the kid, pounding him hard in the chest. Xander gasped as ribs cracked and splintered. Air left his lungs as he dropped the grenade he'd pulled off a merc two seconds before.

Hoffa stepped forward and leaned over to sneer and gloat at the boy. "I'm going to turn you and make you turn your Slayer and that hot piece that lives with you. Then I'll do the rest."

The grenade went off, and Hoffa screamed in agony. His upper body landed atop the enraged but fading kid. He bit. Xander's mind and soul screamed, vowing vengeance and swearing to protect his girls. As he died, the faces of Faith and Buffy, Jenny and others. Flashed before him. The images of Kakistos, Hoffa, and Trick, doing the things he'd learned vamps enjoyed before turning or killing made his blood run cold. Hoffa put his bloodied slit wrist to Xander's mouth. The boy with the last of his strength spat and screamed.

"Nooooooooo!" the boy let out as he died. Trick wiped the dust off his clothes as he let go of the stake ending the legless Hoffa that had planned to turn the young hunter without permission.

"Guess the bastard didn't even realize the kid'd already blown him up…" the black vampire with greater sense than most smirked. "Hey boss, ready to go?"

"Vengeance has been served, Trick. We leave."


	16. Chapter 16

_**Change in Regimen 16?**_

**_  
Author: Tohonomike _****_tohonomikea..._****_  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners... Joss/ME characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product._**

_**Thanks for reading**_

**Monday, May 19th, 1997 – Restfield Cemetery, Sunnydale – 7:15 PM PST**

Ethan Rayne sighed as he made his way from the grave of his son. It had been a year to the hour that he'd died heroically in the eyes of the Watchers Council. The Council and its soldiers had been extremely impressed and had actually acted in a very human manner thereafter…even paying for the boy to be buried in Sunnydale.

The Rayne family and others had been there for Ethan as they'd not been before. He'd have been resentful and lashed out at them had it not been for the fact that it would dishonor his son's memory. Alexander Rayne had been commemorated as a Field Watcher, and placed in the honor rolls of the institution.

Gramms and her daughters tearfully turned away from their remembrance service on this first anniversary of the boy's death. They'd kept it a 'family' matter, and had even managed to set up a shade so the vampire could attend.

That had been an odd development. He'd taken direct control of his businesses, and had branched into Detroit, Toronto and Boston as his son had planned, and the Halliwell sisters were brought into the business side of things fully. He certainly didn't want something he'd built with Alexander to fade out before Ethan himself joined him in the next life.

'Ah well,' the still-grieving man considered, 'A Slayer and a Vampire. Alex, you at least, might have appreciated the irony, lad.' Ethan shook his head as they got into their cars, Faith and the Halliwells heading to the apartments over the shop in the Sunnydale branch of the business for coffee and a get-together.

'I'll have to check on Oliver,' Ethan promised himself, 'See how he's doing in England.'

The man considered Oliver Pike, Xander's cousin through the Harris bloodline, and smiled; the lad had accepted an offer by the Council to get him in shape, and turn him into an SAS mechanic, certified on their vehicles, before he'd be reassigned to a US West Coast reserve team. Travers, and Michaels in particular, had felt the lad deserved some help for all he'd done. And in the last year, he'd graduated high school and with a lot of help, managed to get through the training. They wouldn't in his case, or that of the Wyndham-Price spawn, Wesley, let him fail. It took two months longer, but they'd both made it to everyone's surprise, and two weeks ago, had entered into a year of polishing at the Watcher's Academy in their respective tracks.

Ethan sighed again, 'If only Alexander would have been there for a third.'

**Monday, May 19th, 1997 – Restfield Cemetery, Sunnydale – 9:15 PM PST**

The large black bird landed atop the large yet elegant tombstone, and noted it was next to those of three others connected to the young man. The bird dropped to the ground and pecked at the graveyard mound on which floors had been placed. Soon after, the ground caved in and a male in a long black duster and tuxedo, his full set of hunting weapons arranged as they would have been in life. The dark hair was long, almost as though it had been growing for the entire year, and the mime-like makeup add a particular not of surrealism beyond that of the Sunnydale norm.

'Where am I? How did I get here?' he asked, the memory of a bridge over a river flashing for a moment. A bird had flown low and over, and he could still hear the avian. He couldn't hear vengeance demons suddenly leaving California upon his arrival on Earth again.

He heard a caw, and turned to see a large raven looking at him.

'Crow…'

"Huh?"

'I'm a Crow, not a Raven. Rest a minute. Returning for Justice can be exhausting.'

The male slumped against a headstone, then after a moment realized where he was.

'Am I dreaming? I thought I died.'

'You did. And this is not a dream for you.'

The male turned and looked with trepidation and then anger at the fact that his name was on the granite, and then noticed that there were flowers and a few cards strewn around. He looked at more than one.

'I've been gone for longer than a year!' his thoughts shouted in worry, but those of the Crow quieted him.

'They still live, though two of the three that killed you are still alive.'

'Am I…'

'You are Crow. Remember your studies.'

The young man did.

"Me?"

'Yes. Your loyalty, love and desperation were so great, and the smallest it of Slayer Essence from Maria still lingered. Your Justice against the Undead could not be denied.'

'Why am I in Sunnydale?'

'It's been a year. And this is where they took you. Come, there is one that has been Called to this village to help you.'

'I don't remember a guide other than you in the stories'

'This is a time when the Crow is split. The one before you is still in this world. So he felt your Approach.'

'Does he have a name?'

'Yes.'

The new Crow waited as they walked, then unnecessarily sighed.

'What is his name?'

'Eric Draven.'


	17. Chapter 17

**Change in Regimen 17?**

**  
Author: Tohonomike ****tohonomikea...****  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners... Joss/ME characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Monday, May 19th, 1997 – Sunnydale – 8:00 PM**

Alexander Rayne knocked on the door of the Sunnydale Motor Inn as he dusted himself off yet again. After a pause, a man in his mid-twenties opened the door and stepped back to let him enter.

'The Crow tells me you can explain a few things' Xander thought at the 'man' whose roomed he'd entered.

"Yeah, but first go take a shower; when the Birds showed up and gave me a vision of how you'd look, I got you some clothes. Name's Draven." The man offered his hand to shake after pointing to the clothes on the bed. "Others might not like the smell."

"Alright…Draven. I'm Alexander." He shook hands. "What about my jacket?"

"Seems well oiled. Might not hold the smell as bad, but you can get it cleaned tomorrow."

"Thanks."

Half an hour later, Xander felt, and in the mirror looked, completely normal except for the hair that he'd trimmed slightly so it was only halfway down his back. He found Draven drinking a beer and watching television when he came out.

"That seems way to normal for a … one of us. I thought we …" Xander shrugged as Eric turned off the set and smiled. Setting the beer down, the man gestured at the duster, which looked cleaner. "Looks cleaner. How?"

"Well Alexander, I went outside, hosed it off, and just wiped it. Shouldn't raise too many questions, smell-wise anyway. Put it on."

"Why?"

"I'm hungry?"

"We can eat?"

"Yeah. Don't have to, but we can. Don't worry; I'm paying."

"Um, okay. Then what?"

"Then we talk about what you are, and what I've been able to do."

"Okay."

The diner wasn't bad; the place pretty much full of truckers, a few travelers and a few locals that risked going out after dark. Eric had suggested soup and a milkshake for a first meal, and Xander had gone along with that.

"Go ahead and ask questions, man."

"How can we eat?"

"We're…at the point of life and death. And eating isn't so much for the energy, but it does help repair the damage we sometimes take in our … path of justice. I shoot you, you'll heal. But where does the mass come from? The rest of your body. To keep from being a repulsive skinny skeleton, we eat. Most Crows aren't around long enough for it to be an issue, doing what we came back for and then moving on to the next life."

"Why are you here, then?"

"Shelly…" the man paused with a slight catch in his voice, "Shelly told me I should stay and help you, and that I should live life again if I could. I should have gone months ago, but I was shown what you faced. So I'm here."

"We can live again?"

"If we accomplish what we came to do, we can. Usually we become so dark, we just can't reconnect."

"And if we decide to stay, then what? We get to be human and alive again?"

"Something like that. Or you can stay a Crow until you do decide to move on."

"You still a Crow?"

"Yeah. Especially coming to this place I decided to wait."

"You don't seem dark."

"I made a couple of friends, and since Shelly told me to stay…I don't mind. I have my music, and there'll be eternity with her when I do leave."

"Yeah. I guess so." Xander smiled his thanks at the waitress as she placed the food in front of them. "Eric? Any idea of my life or anything?"

"Sorry, no. The Crows just got me here. And Shelly thought I should hang and help. That's it."

"So…being dead and all…how's a Crow make money?"

"I play music, and when I finished off the guys who murdered me and Shelly…they didn't have much use for the cash they had or the van. So I had a cop friend of mine change the title for me, and voila! I'm here."

"Oh. Well, I can get by on electric guitar, am decent on acoustic and can get around a piano. That's as far as my musical ability goes. So I guess I'm going to be robbing vampires before I dust 'em."

"So…tell me about vampires."

Two hours later, and the two Crows had opened up and told most of their secrets, including Xander's real parents and the fact that he'd started to crush on both Faith and Buffy before coming to Sunnydale. Eric smiled at the tone in the younger man's voice as he especially talked about the girl with the dark hair and a matching sense of humor. As the two left the diner, Eric turned to the younger man.

"Stay at my place; I got two beds. We'll drive around tomorrow and see how things are."

"Thanks Eric. I appreciate it. This is just too weird."

**Tuesday, May 20th, 1997 – Sunnydale – 7:50 AM**

"So, Willow…you and Jesse going to the Fling on Friday?" Buffy asked her Sunnydale friend. It had been only four months since she'd moved to the town only to find out that she'd have a new Watcher on something called a Hellmouth. The joy just kept increasing.

But the nice thing was, was that Jesse, Willow and Amy that she'd seen at Xander's funeral service turned out to attend Sunnydale High. On her first day at school back in February, they'd all found each other out on the quad, and it had been a happy moment in a rather trying year.

Heck, she'd even encountered the new Watcher in passing at Xander's funeral service, so his presence while a surprise didn't come as a great shock. And from talks with Giles since coming to Sunnydale, she'd found out that her friend had been a hunter, and had been one of the 'secret' helpers she'd benefited from when Merrick had been in a coma the first time.

"Yeah, he's finally gotten with the program," Willow smiled fondly. Her best male friend had asked her out pretty regularly after Xander's passing, but this was the first real dance they'd be dressing up for. "He's rented a tux and everything. You?"

"Great. Pike managed to get some time off, so he'll be coming in early Friday and leave on Sunday. Mom's finally given in. Guess she feels after a year of letters and email, we're going to stay a couple. And since she isn't doing the social climbing thing since the divorce, loyalty is more important the money."

"Wow, I'm glad for you Buffy."

"Yeah, and with Giles letting him stay with him, Mom's glad that there'll be a 'chaperone' just in case."

"What about Jonathan and Amy? Know if they're going?"

"Well, someone better tell him to just ask if he hasn't; I know last week Amy was wondering if he would. And after he managed to keep her away from Moloch, all hero-boy has to do is ask."

"What is it with guys and not asking?"

"I don't know; I just wish Faith had accepted someone's asking; it's been a year since Xander. It's time to move on."

"Well," Willow responded in that worried-hopeful tone she was known for, "Maybe now that a year has passed, she will. Is she making Liam take her?"

"I don't even know if she's going, Willow. I just don't know."

**Tuesday, May 20th, 1997 – Sunnydale – 10:00 AM**

Xander winced as his eyes adjusted to sunlight for the first time in a year, but accepted a pair of shades from Draven as they got into the car.

"Where to?" the senior Crow asked, waiting.

"Lets drive by the store first just to see if it's there, then we'll find a residential phone directory and see who's in it."

"You going to go into the store?" Eric asked as he pulled out into the street.

"Nah, First I want to know who's here. I think the first person I want to find is Liam. Since he's a vampire, he won't have a heart attack if I show up."

"Makes sense. Think he's here or in LA?"

"Don't know yet. Luckily it isn't that far of a drive to LA."

**Tuesday, May 20th, 1997 – Restfield Cemetery – 10:30 AM**

The Halliwells walked toward the graves of Xander and his biological parents, hoping to place a few more flowers before they headed back home to San Francisco. There weren't prepared to find Xander's caved in. Gramms froze as the three sisters stepped around it in dismay.

"Who?" Piper asked, "Who would do something like this?"

Pru crouched down. "Piper, it looks like, like something came out of it. Look at the wood and the ground. Those, those are hand marks pulling…"

Phoebe saw her grandmother make a small hand gesture while murmuring something she couldn't quite make out.

"Gramms? What is it?"

"I, nothing, Phoebe," the older woman sighed, "But we need to let Ethan know someone's done this."

The three turned and followed their grandmother with suppressed anger and hurt that someone would wreck Xander's rest. They didn't see the worried consideration the elder woman unsuccessfully attempted to suppress.


	18. Chapter 18

**Change in Regimen 18?**

**  
Author: Tohonomike ****tohonomikea...****  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners... Joss/ME characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Tuesday, May 20th, 1997 – 10:30 AM**

"So, who's here?"

"Looks like my family's here. And Jenny, even. I'm kind of surprised that Buffy's here with her mom."

"What made you look?"

"Don't know…but I don't have a listing for Liam in here."

"Hey, Alexander?"

"Yeah?"

"If you can remember the phone number, I could call Los Angeles and save you a trip."

"I hadn't thought of that."

"It's my extra experience…don't fret it…"

"Uh-huh…" the younger Crow replied, rolling his eyes. "Well, Old Bird, find a phone and we'll make the call. I really do think contacting Liam first is our best bet."

"Yeah, is Liam there?" Eric asked when a man identifying himself as Carl Kolchak answered the phone of the business. "I really need to speak with him."

"No…he's out of town, but I could pass on a message if you care to leave one."

"No, I'm calling from a pay phone. By any chance would he be in Sunnydale? I have information I can only tell him. It involves his family."

The man paused, "Yeah, he'd be there. You sure you don't have a number?"

"Well, he could leave a message for room 314 of the Sunnydale Motor Inn. I don't have the number on me, though."

"That's alright, there aren't that many places up there. I'll let him know the next time he checks in."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

Xander had already picked up on the course of the conversation, and looked down the street to where the magic store was beckoning. He fought off the youthful need to just go barging in and revealing himself; in his family that invited pain as a beginning.

"What do you think, Eric? Liam probably won't call us, but wait until dark to check us out and make direct contact. That's a good eight or more hours. What do we do until then?"

"Why don't we pick up some food and we find a place to jam. Maybe a fluffy coffee bar near the college."

"Sure, why not? And Eric…thanks for the help. This Crow thing would have been a mind-blow if you weren't here to help."

"I know what it was like…so you're welcome."

The day passed uneventfully for the two Crows, Xander finding out he was at least good enough to play backup for Eric after being shown through the man's own original songs a couple of times. The crowd that lingered and bought more while the two musicians were there made the manager happy enough to include lunch and unlimited normal coffee while they were there, and told them to stop by Thursday to discuss a regular gig.

Around four, when they left the espresso place, they didn't know that the Halliwells and Ethan's business 'family' were very much stirred up by what the women had found that morning in Restfield Cemetery. Gramms reluctantly delayed leaving Sunnydale until she could be sure Ethan wouldn't fall back into his darker moods and magics.

Liam eventually got the message from Carl in Los Angeles, and wondered, but only to himself, if it could be connected somehow to the grave desecration. He shook his head; between what seemed to be Buffy's imminent confrontation with the Master, and rumors that the Greek Freak might make an appearance, Sunnydale's supernatural community was tensing for battles.

Faith had noticed during her post-homework training session with Liam that his thoughts were elsewhere; the soul trapped inside of a vampire didn't often let his attention wander, but when it did, those few times weren't the best. She waited until they were done to broach the subject.

"Hey, what's going on?" she asked and stared at him intently, "You hear something bad's come up?"

Liam stared at the young woman for a moment, not even sure himself of how to answer.

"I have to meet with a contact this evening; I don't know yet what it's about." He'd learned from Faith and Alexander that saying something truthful was better than holding things in; people could get hurt.

"Need backup?"

"No. I don't know yet if they're aware of the Slayer; they called Los Angeles from here. Carl was asked if I'd come up here since the information involves Sunnydale."

"You've been up here since Christmas, so whoever it was probably just guessed you were heading here if they called there first."

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, but that still leads to questions."

"Maybe meet them on neutral ground. The rest of us could be way off in the background in case something bad goes down." She thought about it, "The Bronze. That way other than telling RG, nobody'll be the wiser, but they'll be there. And we all know how since he rescued Buffy's mom from Darla playing schoolgirl, just how tough he can be if he wants."

"Okay, that makes sense. I'll go call and arrange things if it's a face-to-face."

They two Crows reached the motel and found that Liam had left a message for them; he'd meet them at a place called the Bronze, and he'd have his assistant with him, so not to show with more than two. He also left eight o'clock as the time to meet.

"Well, do you want to show up early to see if they're planning a trap, or on time?" Eric asked, "Your call."

"Maybe a little early, and just to avoid running in to too many of them before we could speak to him and whoever he has with him. If it's Buffy, we'll just go and contact one of the others."

"If I didn't know how bad the world could suck, I'd think you were paranoid. But since we really haven't talked about it all, I should warn you about the Crow touch again."

"Yeah…how's that work?"

"It just does. Unless you specifically get used to keeping it 'off' then whenever you make skin contact, the memory thing happens. You pick up most of their important moments, mainly pain, and whatever directly links with you. If you do it on purpose, you can force them to relive memories, certain kinds of them, or force them to see yours. And those you've gotten from others."

"Seems nasty."

"It's … a good way to punish. Make them feel what their victims did. If you decide not to kill a human enemy, it's the best way to ensure justice. And I bet the vampires just won't like it at all."

"Good…I guess."

"So…shall we go?"

"Yeah. Let's see what happens."


	19. Chapter 19

**Change in Regimen 19?**

**  
Author: Tohonomike ****tohonomikea...****  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners... Joss/ME characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Tuesday, May 20th, 1997 – 6:30 PM**

"I didn't think we'd show up this early," Alex smiled as the manager walked away, agreeing to let the two use the instruments up on the stage. The two men went for a pair of bass guitars, Eric figuring to show the younger man through a few of his songs, the bass lines at least, and the back up parts of singing if he had a decent enough voice.

The two went through a few pieces, and Eric was pleased that his 'apprentice' had enough skill that he could handle the pieces once they got going.

"Hey Eric?"

"Yeah Alex?"

"Why don't you do the Crow thing on me, concentrating on your music playing. That way I might keep the stuff in my head long enough until I've played it myself a couple times."

Draven smiled, "Alright, but you might see more of…well more."

"That's okay. The fact that I need the practice, at least it won't be on a vamp."

Eric looked around, and noticed that it was still early, about seven, and the dozen or so patrons weren't looking. He reached over, thought only about his music, and closed his eyes as he placed his hands on Xander's temples. The flashes, and the meanings underlying much of the music, the time with Shelly and her loss. It was shared. And both men found themselves in Crow-Face as they separated. The manager came over before they could let it recede.

"You guys have an actual act? Cool. How about you play for food and drinks tonight if you're good; if you plan to stick around, we can talk about paying you for regular gigs. Sound good?"

Eric smiled slightly, "You'd be better off paying cash, I've seen this guy eat. But sure. Name's Eric, this is Alex."

They all shook hands, the manger introducing himself, "I'm Bob. So you guys any good?"

"Pretty good, though it's only the two of us right now. But for tonight, we'll be able to give it a go."

"What's with the make up?"

"Lost bet," Alex said as he rolled is eyes, "But if the crowd doesn't like us, they at least won't know what we really look like."

The manager laughed and Eric broke a wry look at the remark.

By seven-thirty, the two were managing to go through a lot of music…though with only two of them, a lot of it was slower numbers, some acoustic and some electric. The crowd seemed to like the mix, much of it danceable. The two ordered a couple of burger specials, and sodas, and Alex made sure to place them prominently so that any demon hunter types wouldn't think them as vamps.

Alex had shifted his weapons just a little bit more out of sight than usual to avoid a problem with the manager, and so kept his coat on for a while. The Crow thing meant temperature wasn't too much of an issue, so it remained comfortable.

Liam wasn't in plain view, though a few to-Xander familiar faces filtered into the Bronze over the next half an hour. Jesse, Willow, and Amy came in together; Cordelia Chase and her rich girl clique; a few others.

Buffy and Faith came in together, and for a second Xander thought his heart would burst with joy as well as longing. They were safe, and that was what mattered. They grabbed a couple of chairs and the table right next to the Sunnydale natives, and began chatting. After a couple of minutes, Buffy increasingly glanced at the two musicians, as though she could sense something not right. During a break between sets, Xander made sure to chow down on his food, which seemed to place her a little more at ease, though still suspicious.

The next few songs seemed to make the crowd get up and dance a little more, and Buffy with Faith danced with each other, Buffy with what looked to be a bottle of Perrier in her hand; Xander smiled as they inched toward the stage, Buffy trying to figure out what her senses were picking up. Liam and Jenny entered the Bronze and sat down at a table near the kids, the vampire uneasily looking around. Just as Buffy seemed close enough for a real look, the song ended, and Eric with a smile announced a fifteen minute break.

"So, is the couple that walked in the ones we're meeting?"

"Yeah, looks that way. Liam and Jenny," Alex stepped down, only to have to have a 'clumsy' Buffy bump into Eric and spill some water on him. She seemed surprised when nothing happened.

"I, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Eric assured her playfully, "I'm not a vampire or the Wicked Witch of the West, so no bad."

"Huh? Oh, I got it," she stumbled as Faith rolled her eyes and pulled her away. She held a glance at Alex as if almost making a connection with the face paint-wearing guy in her memory, but shrugged it off as the two dark-haired men walked toward a table where Jenny sat with her back slightly to them. Buffy picked up on this as well.

"Again, really sorry, a-and I like your music."

"Thanks," Eric replied with a smile as she pulled Faith slowly with her past the two so they'd be at the nearby table without too much suspicion. Being the Slayer, Buffy risked having her back to the table.

Alex looked around, and spotted Liam returning to the table with a pair of coffees. Letting Buffy settle in, the two were almost to the table, right behind Liam, when Alex saw the girl tense and whirl, just a couple drops of water spilling onto Angel's hand as he set the coffee on the table. His skin smoked, and his face changed as he tried to turn away. Buffy didn't see him as she was too busy trying to connect now-three blips on the 'slay-dar' only to see Liam and the two guys that weren't vamps.

"What are you?" the Slayer asked the two newcomers, "And what's with the mime paint?"

"We're musicians, Buffy," Eric told her, "We call ourselves the Crows."

Angel drew his demon face back to human, but Jesse, Willow and Amy had seen it, and so had the Halliwell sisters a dozen feet behind them.

"We're here to see Liam," Alex said, not really believing the four would be unable to see who he was, when Jesse lunged forward with a stake at Liam's back to save everybody from the vampire that seemed to have replaced their friend.

"Die demon!" Jesse yelled, but it was Alex that almost-casually reached out and snagged the stake with lightning speed from the boy's hand. Those watching were too busy watching Jesse's attack and the blindingly-fast disarmament to understand the shocked look the stumbling boy gave the new guy. Liam turned and caught him, but Jesse pushed away with a frightened look.

"Liam's been turned Buffy! Demon face!" Buffy looked at the teen that had with Willow and Amy welcomed her to Sunnydale. Willow and Amy had equally-paled looks on their faces that seemed to confirm it, when Jesse pointed at one of the new guys. "And that's Xander!"

Buffy shifted so that she was interposing herself between Liam and at least Faith, Jenny and her high school friends, but couldn't really cover against the new guys as well. As the Halliwells came up behind the humans, Eric turned to his companion.

"I'm guessing they haven't gotten around to sharing all their secrets yet, Alex?"

"Looks that way, Eric. Guess we should go normal face again?"

"It might make things a little easier." As the two did, Alex cleared his throat, and let his coat fully open to show his gear, and reinforce the identity he was going to reveal.

"Damn Irish, I leave you for a year and a 'group of meddling kids' is your undoing. I'm guessing that the new Sassenach is a one-armed midget wearing Viking horns as a disguise?"

The humans, and Liam, all froze as without masking, he was clearly Ethan Rayne's son Alexander.

"Um, I'm not evil or a ghost or vampire. And Liam has his soul forced back in, so the person is in control of the vampire body. Should we take this somewhere a little less public?"

Buffy continued to stare at all three men in black, "None of you are alive, are you?"

"Liam's a soul in control of his vampire body. We're Crows."

"Crows?" Jenny asked with a frown, "Two of you?"

"Eric hung around when he found out I'd show up. He's been explaining things."

"Miss Calendar?" Buffy asked, not taking her eyes off the three.

"Oh, Liam's been a vampire a long time Buffy; nothing new. And I don't remember much about the Crow legend."

"Are they evil?"

"They come back to settle a score I think. But they aren't alive any more."

Piper frowned, "Alex…we, we buried you. How are you here, and what is all this about vampires and Crows?"

Alex smiled wanly, "Tell Gramms to be wherever 'The Meeting' will take place. It looks like a long one. Faith, Jenny, don't let Buffy stake Liam."

The girl looked back at him, "Lex?"

"It is me. I'm glad you and Buffy are fine; I guess I couldn't rest knowing the two of you were in trouble from the Greek Freak."

Buffy held back her friend, "Faith, wait until Giles and Ethan can explain it to us. Jenny, can you call them on the cell and get everybody to the shop?"

The woman nodded as Bob the manager hurried over, "Hey Alex, Eric, I think the crowd's waiting. Think you can give me another hour?"

Eric nodded, "Sure Bob, no problem. Come on, Alex. They'll let us know during a break the when and where. Though I'm thinking we should pick up some beer on the way over; this'll take a while."

"Snacks," Alex replied as they headed back to the stage, "We'll bring snacks too. I didn't really believe you when you said this Crow deal took it out of you. And Willow likes root beer."

By the time they gathered the gang together, it was almost time Ethan Rayne didn't know how to take the news that his son was back. He'd seen his boy die, and they knew he hadn't been turned. He turned to Giles, and didn't offer the least snarkiness.

"Could, could you look up in the inventory and see what you can find out about Crows, Rupert? I need to know…"

Alex and Eric walked into the shop without a specific invite, always a plus in the Slayer's group, as at least they weren't a new kind of vampire. The Halliwell family on one side of the long conference table in back, Ethan at the far end of the table, Liam, then Jenny, then Jesse, and Willow. Giles and Catherine were looking through the shelves for research materials. As the two moved further in, it was noted that they actually had brought a plethora of beverages and snacks, but no one really wanted to sit next to them. They set the stuff on the table, as Buffy stood guard behind the Halliwells in case the two turned out to be evil and in need of Slaying.

"Okay…" Lex began uncertainly, especially as Faith came out from the back room and cautiously made her way to behind Liam and Ethan. He looked at the man who'd raised him. "How do we do this?"

Ethan stood up from the table, his resolve growing as he walked around the Sunnydale side of the table. When he was about five feet from the two men, he looked directly into Alexander's eyes.

"What were the names of your blood parents, and what was your birth name?"

Alexander looked a bit surprised.

"Are you sure you want that said in front of everyone?"

"I lost my son a year ago, and would have come clean by now had he lived; please answer the question as all the proof I need that you are who you say you are."

"Alright, my father was Watcher Anthony Giles Harris; my mother was Watcher Jessica Travers Harris, nee LaVelle. I was Alexander LaVelle Harris, though Maria, the Slayer, called me Alessandro and sang to me. I was given to you because they thought the Council was reviving the Cruciamentum for the Slayer's eighteenth birthday…"

Giles looked shocked at the names given for the parent's identities, and that the Cruciamentum was mentioned. Ethan's expression softened slightly.

"Are you alive, Alex?"

"Technically, no. But Eric here tells me it might be possible someday, if I complete my task and am not ready for the afterlife."

Buffy frowned, "How are you different from a vampire?"

"I eat real food to maintain my mass and energy levels as needed, but I still seem to have all of my previous capabilities, magic and stuff. It's like if I pointed at you right now and declared you dead, but in the next instant, nothing's changed. It's more like…you'd be frozen in the instant before dying. No rotting or such. But you won't suddenly just be alive again either."

"So," Faith asked as she edged next to Ethan, who'd become a father-figure to her as they'd grieved at the loss of the young man in front of them. "That's how you are?"

"Not exactly, because I really did die, but it's like I got reversed back, with some serious boosts to fulfill my purpose."

Ethan quietly inched forward, "And that is?"

"I think it's to wipe out the vamps that threatened Buffy and Faith as I was killed in London, Dad. And anything else that threatens them before I do that is fair game as far as I'm concerned."

Buffy was balanced between the weirdness that was Lex the Undead Guy, and the fact that his reason for coming back seemed to be to keep her and Faith alive. And with 'The Master' running around, that was a good thing, right?

"Why didn't anyone tell me about one of us being a vampire?"

Ethan sighed.

"My fault Buffy; at first I thought you'd figured it out…being the Slayer and not dusting him…but after that, I just didn't think we needed to threaten the closeness this large family has had in the last year."

Faith cleared her throat, "Lex, is there any way to prove your story?"

"Yeah, but it isn't a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because when a Crow touches a person, he gets this whole motion-picture at high-speed, mostly of the bad, but it's also possible to send memories that way. It's how one of us, how one of us can force someone to relieve the pain of their victim."

"That's horrible!" Grams responded.

"It's why I'm not going to get many hugs, Grams. But if I came across a serial killer, chances are he'd die from experiencing the metal anguish and pain of the victims all at once. Crows are about setting things right…Just Vengeance, Vengeful Justice…who we are I guess determines how we act."

Piper spoke up first of the sisters.

"Grams, why aren't you surprised, and why do you seem to know about this stuff?"

"I'll explain it later," the woman sighed, having hoped to keep them safe by keeping them from the darkness of the world. 'I should have known better…'

"But Alex isn't alive…" the young woman continued.

"Much of the supernatural stuff you've heard about is real, just not as prevalent as one would fear. Liam there is a vampire, but the soul…the person he was before the demon took over his body…was forced back in with very powerful dark magic. So the person you see isn't alive, but is currently a person and not a demon. Alexander, if I remember the legends, is as he described, but Crows, in spite of two of them being here, are very rare."

Faith looked at Lex, "So touching is the only real way of proving it, but it isn't such a good thing?"

Eric and Alex nodded, the latter adding, "At least until I've done this a little while so I have some kind of control. I'd never want to hurt any of you."

Buffy and Faith both had the same idea at the same time; a foolish nobility in action that Ethan also was caught up in. The two girls moved forward at great speed and hugged the mysterious friend, Slayer and unknown Potential Slayer meeting a Strange Force of Nature, and as Ethan changed his own intent of grasping a hand of his son to that of holding the girl's back, the Chaos Mage added his own strange background to the mix as Rupert tried to restrain his Slayer. As Alex in his surprise was nearly bowled over, the Senior Crow reached out to hold his new charge and the Watcher so they wouldn't hit the floor.

Four living and two not-living screamed from the intensity of exchanged memories and magics.


	20. Chapter 20

**Change in Regimen 20? Mixing it Up, Big Time**

**  
Author: Tohonomike ****tohonomikea...****  
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners... Joss/ME characters Spelling and others. I do not and cannot make money off of this, but for feedback I try to churn out a quality product.**

**Thanks for reading**

**Tuesday, May 20th, 1997 **

Eric's life and pain, his loss of Shelley, his love of music and his time as a Crow against evil in his city flashed before their eyes; Xander's recent 'Crowness' after his life flashed before them as well, his determination to help Buffy and others, his love of his adoptive father Ethan, and because of the mix of magic they also saw and felt the memories of his parents and Maria and then of Ethan. The life of a young man from a Watcher family who 'went Dark Side' for a while and redeemed himself by becoming the parent-named father to Alexander.

They felt Alexander's connections to Liam, his surrogate brother, the last minutes in London and how he'd emoted that he wouldn't let Faith and Buffy be killed by the Freak.

Buffy in particular felt the connection to the Slayer; Ethan to Anthony and Jessica, Faith to Xander; the daughter of super-spy parents felt a surge of strength between her and Buffy, before it retracted back.

Eric found himself connected briefly with Ethan in appreciation of music and the human side of chaos. Xander in the middle began to itch a bit, all over, but it passed, and he smiled wanly at Faith as he briefly shared her memories of her parents and a little incident in the Keys.

The humans dropped to the floor in exhaustion, Eric fell back and crashed into some shelves that held him up. Xander fell to his knees, then he too, passed out.

Liam at surprising speed raced around to check on Faith then Xander, then the others as Catherine rushed to Ethan, Giles to his Slayer, and Jenny after a moment stood next to Eric to offer help but careful not to touch. Liam when he touched Xander, or Lex as he knew him, wasn't so lucky in remembering.

The soul and demon screamed, Liam falling back over Faith and Buffy while still unable to let go of the young Crow. Power as well as memories flooded the vampire body and mind, with Eric sensing something Very Wrong happening he didn't understand beyond that.

Liam screamed, the girls awoke screaming and convulsed, before they collapsed again. Lex only noticed the itching had stopped before the flood of three centuries of unlife overloaded his mind.

"What do we do Eric?" Jana of the Kalderash asked the senior Crow, "I've never heard of this, and, and their auras seemed to spill over and back like nothing in any book I've encountered."

Grams hurried over, and mumbled words under her breath, only Jana and Catherine hearing her. Quickly they joined hands and invoked a blessing, and then cast a spell of sleeping at Liam and Lex.

"Quickly," Grams directed Giles and Eric, "without touching them, separate them from each other. They should stop this unheard of Joining then."

It only took a moment, but Giles called out in horror.

"I think the girls are dead!" he choked, "Hurry, we must attempt CPR at once!"

Jenny crouched next to Ethan, "Ethan too!"

Piper and Pru ran over to Faith as Jenny and Grams attended Ethan. Giles waved over Catherine to help with Buffy instead of her paramour. The next few minutes were painful and frightening to the group, but finally Buffy, then Ethan, then Faith seemed to come around, weak, choking and sobbing from the horrors of the memories.

Phoebe had called for paramedics, and was a bit off-put when they seemed unwilling to show. Once they seemed sure it was humans (not in so many words) they told her to stay on the line and the EMTs would be there. Eric grabbed Liam and Alex (as he called the Crow) and set them in chairs at the table, letting them slump back down.

About fifteen minutes passed when the paramedics showed up and after Jesse gave the lame excuse of 'big noise scare them' they double-checked the three humans. When they looked over to the table, Giles made eye contact and simply shook his head.

"Everybody seems fine, now," the senior paramedic assured them, looking a bit nervous at Liam and Alex just starting to pick themselves off the table. "If you really want, we can take them to the hospital, but their hearts and other vitals seem remarkably fine."

"That, that will be fine then. Thank you," Giles responded, "Since you've assured us they're fine now, I have no trouble believing they'll be fine now. Thank you."

They watched as the men left, and looked toward their recovering human family members, Catherine already hovering over Ethan, while the kids were helping Buffy and Faith. Jenny was walking toward Liam, when she caught Buffy's look of amazement. Jenny followed it to Liam, who all of a sudden screamed as if in agony and dust including his clothes exploded outward. The chair snapped into kindling and dropped the naked man onto the floor, his skin flushed and new like a baby's as he passed out again.

The Romany stepped carefully over and placed her hand on his neck, not believing what she discovered.

"I don't know how…but he's human."

"My magic…" Ethan began, "It's…gone. All of it."

A gaunt-looking Alex began reaching for snacks, guzzling a two-liter of soda, before starting to cram snack cakes. Eric looked at him.

"What happened to you?"

"I don't know, but I feel like I've been drained of almost all of my energy."

"Keep eating, though it might take a couple of days to fill back out again. You didn't turn back too somehow did you?"

"Oh…no. Is that what happened to him," he suddenly looked at the man on the floor, "All I know is, I feel tired. I know I could still do whatever I needed to do…but I'm very tired.

Buffy looked across the table and they saw she too was down with the consumption of calories, "I know what you mean. I don't think I've felt this tired since before I was Called."

"Yeah…"

"So, it's really you, huh?"

"Yeah. Me. How much do you remember?"

"I know that you told us the truth. I remember London, and I remember New York through Maria's eyes…Alessandro. You were a beautiful baby. She loved you like her own." Buffy and Xander both teared up, too exhausted to hold things in too tight. "I know that Angelus was a horror and that Liam is the soul. Ms. Calendar?"

"Yes, Buffy?" the teacher replied from where Giles was wrapping a blanket over the still-unconscious man.

"Is he…is he really human now?"

"It seems so. Something in that weird power exchange. The way your auras flowed together while you were connected…I'm guessing Ethan's magic, the Crow power to transfer memories—which are energy, and the Slayer healing power, must have regenerated him. Since he had a soul, he's human. If he hadn't, a normal vampire might just be dead."

"Oh. Thanks." A moment later, she yawned and fell asleep on the table, those still awake smiling at her soft snores next to an already-sleeping Faith. Ethan turned to his girlfriend.

"Well Cathy, it looks like you'll be wearing the Wizard's Hat in the family, now…" he said with a wan smile, "But I can still provide you with magical guidance as you need it. I'm just glad that my magic went with a flashy end…raising a vampire to life…instead of one of my old pranks."

The man pushed himself up, as did his son who came around the table after toeing Liam into being barely conscious Eric touched his fellow Crow and began helping a quiet yet cranky Irishman to an intact chair. Ethan extended his arm to his gal.

"Mind helping an invalid to the back? I could use help with something."

Buffy and Faith both protested being awakened, and the young Crow swore when Buffy in waking lashed out and hit him.

"Alexander!" Grams admonished with a light slap to his back, "Watch your language!"

"Sorry Grams," he smiled back, and then they saw his 'mask' come out as he turned back toward his father. "Hey Dad?"

"Yes Alex?" he replied as the young man pulled Catherine away, "How rude, boy."

Alex lunged forward and placed his hands on the man's temples, causing the eyes to flash and the visage of Eyghon to show to those in the room.

"Good Lord!" Giles cried as he recoiled in terror and pulled Catherine out of harms way. "Ethan's possessed!"

"Get out of my father demon!" Alexander Rayne shouted as he wept, sending the memories of pain to the demon. Unable to take more, the beast leapt from the father … into the nearest unconscious or dead body … Alexander himself!

Alex and Eyghon screamed, Alexander from the evil memories, and the demon from the pain of almost-Holy justice and vengeance. The love and willingness to sacrifice that radiated from the … Crow! The pain was too much. The goodness was too much. But the Crow wouldn't let go! It shouldn't be able to keep the demon in, but Eyghon couldn't concentrate! Even Giles grabbed his own arm, tattoo there glowing as it seemed to burn off his skin as the pain of the demon increased. Ethan, passed out on the floor, writhed as a similar mark flashed off.

"Ahhhh!" the demon screamed before dust exploded off the young man and onto Buffy and Faith.

"Ewwww!" and "Leeeeeeeex!" were the replies as he smiled. Then collapsed.


End file.
